Overview

This resource seeks to demonstrate what specific instrumental combinations have intrigued composers of the past and present and to suggest other groupings that may prove to be of equal validity and tonal interest. The book is designed to be a thesaurus of orchestral combinations, a lexicon of the science and art of fusing timbre and sonority in symphonic scoring. Few standard manuals devote such attention to this fascinating question as it directly relates to the imaginative deployment of the orchestral instruments. It indicates to the curious composer-orchestrator what instrumental combinations are both feasible and tonally viable. This is accomplished by the cataloging of hundreds of couplings-each is considered first as related to each individual choir of the orchestra and then as to the various possibilities between the component orchestral sections. While not every instrumental combination is considered, nearly all of the practical couplings between instruments have been included.

Full Product Details

9780810848146

Table of Contents

Reviews

...the author fulfills the need for a book that is concerned solely with the question of timbre as it relates to the disribution of the orchestral instruments...includes a useful bibliography and an index of instrumental techniques. This book should prove to be a valuable reference to the composer or orchestrator who wants to further investigate the hundreds of instrumental combinations presented in the text. It may also help the musician seeking to understand how a composer creates a certain sound or tone color. Music Educators Journal, Vol. 91, No. 3 (January 2005)

Author Information

Gardner Read has enjoyed a prolific and varied career as composer, conductor, teacher, and author. He was appointed composer-in-residence and professor of composition at the School of Music, Boston University, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1978. He is the recipient of many awards for composition and performance. This is his ninth book.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available