Recently I've become very interested in works that use very good orchestration, and I've been noticing how orchestrations change distinctively with different composers. I was wondering, are there any composers who you think are particularly great orchestrators, or are there any pieces you think are orchestrated particularly well?

I'm enjoying Stravinsky a lot just now, and I'm really enjoying the orchestration in the Firebird. I'm convinced I wouldn't enjoy it as much, were it not for it's brilliant orchestral colours. I also like Rachmaninov's orchestration, and Prokofiev's too.

Try Respighi, or Ravel (who orchestrated Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition).

Well, just about anything orchestral by Mahler, Ravel, Stravinsky, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, and a host of others, is pretty much bound to be at least excellently scored.

For a truly outstanding performance of a truly well-orchestrated work, try this:




FK

I would add Gustav Holst and Joaquín Rodrigo to the list of great orchestral colorists. This seems to be more of a late romantic and 20th century phenomenon for some reason. I guess they began to have larger orchestras to color with.

Rimsky-Korsakov was the first name that came to mind for me too, FK. He quite literally wrote the book on the subject. Lots of good suggestions here. I'll add Richard Strauss to the list.

Personally I find Shostakovich's orchestration somewhat so-so. It has some intriguing colours every now and then but not really much in total.

Stravinsky's orchestration is very innovative while still remaining interesting (Something I find Klanfarbenmelodie fails at).

Mahler's orchestration while providing a rare occasion of innovations sits perfectly well with the music and is quite variable.

Berlioz started it all, but it is those who carried it from him that made his idea come to life.

Mozart was a very interesting orchestrator for the Classical period (considering orchestration was less of a focus). Of note is Sinfonia Concertante, and his piano concertos (especially for the division of winds and strings). Mozart was also someone of close interest (regarding orchestration) to Ravel; he along with some baroque composer starting with C - forgot the name!

Strauss I personally believe to be one of the most colourful and beautiful orchestrators. While not being too innovative, he is still very varied and extremely colourful.

Couperin?

FK

Don't forget Beethoven!, Ok some of his orchestras were just basic classical ensemble but he seemed to know exactly what intsrument(s) to bring in at exactly the right time to give shape and colour to his pieces.
I also would put Brahms and Dvorak in there as well, because they knew how to squeeze as many different orchestral colours out of what are basic classical ensemble...

May have been.

You will do well to forget Beethoven. His harmonics and melodic inventions seems to cast shadow on his study of orchestration. He can't Orchestrate to save his life: his violin concerto is a piano concerto; he has no idea how to write a woodwind chord (the voicing is, again, is magically as if he composed it on the piano and forgot how other instruments sound different!). He is a great composer (around 75% of the time), but a terrible orchestrator.

Mahler,Berlioz,Strauss,Brahms and Tchaikovsky are the finest orchestrators in my humble opinion.

That's good. If his greatest compositions were improved in any way we probably couldn't survive them.

Yes, it was Couperin. Although that may have been more of a stylistic influence...

I agree that R. Strauss was one of the great orchestrators. Listen to Don Juan and Don Quixote and try to say otherwise!

Let's add Wagner to this company if only for the overture to Parsifal! As a professional orchestrator I find myself going back again and again to Wagner for inspiration. It's just a shame that most of the time we're not allowed to demand 8 Wagner tubas and quadruple woodwind in all our scores!
FC

Oh and don't get to down on ludwig! I will defend him on detail soon when I have alittle more time! just now it's Christmas night so have a merry one and drive safely!
FC