Classical Music Forum banner

What truly makes a good orchestrator?

9K views 48 replies 25 participants last post by  Heck148 
#1 ·
Music theory typically has more of a focus on harmony, but there are subtle harmonics that go into making the different timbres of instruments, so it must underly orchestration to some extent.

Janacek is one of my favorite orchestrators. I love the clarity of his sound, particularly with the strings. His orchestration seem to perfectly enhance his musical ideas and sense of form. This is something I would really have to look at the score on, but I get the feeling that his orchestration is not the most complex, and yet it really does it for me.

I don't really know how to penetrate the surface of this topic, but I thought I'd post it in music theory in case anyone has some deeper perspectives.
 
#41 ·
Tarus Bulba by Janacek is music that I have been hearing as being extraordinary for both the orchestration and the odd rhythms and phrases. Crisp and vivid. I wish I could understand better what it is I like about it so much. There are few pieces like that where each little puff of sound is such a gem.
 
#42 ·
A good orchestrator will not have everyone playing at once, will not have the strings leading (except for when applicable), will take into consideration the harmonic depth they are trying to achieve. There are some excellent books written on this subject, it's a must know for any composer!
 
#44 ·
^ I just noticed that these are some of my favorite composers too.

Another favorite composer that I am a bit remiss to add is Sibelius. I think at times his orchestration reached genius level (S5, S7, Tapiola, Swan, Luonnotar) but other times I think he was merely wonderful. Love his music as much or more than just about anybody, though. He is Top 3 for me. Anybody put him in the list of elites regarding orchestration?
 
#47 ·
The "Planets" is quite remarkable for its orchestration - Holst called for several "unusual" instruments to be used - most performances nowadays use the alternative [cross-cued] parts available - ie - alto flute - many parts for this lovely, but gentle-sounding instrument - often in soli with flute section - these parts may be covered by the bassoon, or perhaps clarinet II. Holst also wrote for Heckelphone [a 2ble reed, pitched 1 8va lower than the oboe] - these parts may be cross-cued in the bassoon part - the tenor tuba part of course, is very prominent - esp in "mvt I "Mars"

Stravinsky used many of these instruments, plus more, in "Rite of Spring" - notable solos for alto flute, bass trumpet,
2 tenor [Wagner] tubas as well. also -
5 trumpets - D piccolo, 4 Bb, IV also plays bass trumpet
2 piccolo Clarinets - Eb [D]
2 contrabassoons
2 bass tubas [at very end of Part I, the 2 tubas end up on a clashing minor 2nd - FFF!!
 
#48 · (Edited)
Good points and good post, Heck148. As you say, (shortly) before The Planets came Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with similarly formidable wind and brass sections, in their entirety, according to Wikipedia: one piccolo, three flutes (third doubling second piccolo), one alto flute, four oboes (fourth doubling second English horn), English horn, three clarinets in B♭ and A (third doubling second bass clarinet), clarinet in E♭ and D, one bass clarinet, four bassoons (fourth doubling second contrabassoon), one contrabassoon; eight horns (seventh and eighth doubling tenor Wagner tubas), trumpet in D, four trumpets in C (fourth doubling bass trumpet in E♭), two trombones, one bass trombone, two bass tubas. The alto flute solo in the Rite is probably the most famous orchestral solo for that instrument. But I date the comeback of the wind instruments in modern music even earlier, to Debussy, as in The afternoon of a faun of 1894.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top