ORCHESTRATION
by
Books by Walter Piston y
conor WALTER PISTON
COUNTERPOINT
PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
LONDON
VICTOR GOLLANCZ LTD
1969First published November 1955
Second impression June 1938
‘Third impression May 1 oe
Fourth impeeaion September 1965
Fifth impression May 1969
eos oni 8 4 CONTENTS
FOREWORD vii
ONE . THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA
1. STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 3
THE VIOLIN 37
3. THE VIOLA fi
Un eS - 4. THE VIOLONCELLO 80
OF TASMANIA 5. THE DOUBLE-DASS 98
LERARY 6, WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS 4
{ 7. THE FLU 28
8. THE onoe 146
9. THE CLARINET 163
ns re 10. THE BASSOON 188
11, BRASS INSTRUMENTS 206
12, THE HORN
13. THE TRUMPET
1g. THE TROMBONE
15. THE TUBA
priya 1 hear BRITAIN BY 16. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS 296
17. THE HARP 333
18, KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS 340ORCHE
RATION
TWO ANALYSIS OF ORCHESTRATION
‘TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE I, ORCHESTRAL UNISON
TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE Il, MELODY AND ACcOM-
PANIMENT
TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE Il, SECONDARY MELODY
TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE IV, PART WRITING
‘TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE V, CONTRAPUNTAL TEXTURE
TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE VI, CHORDS
‘TYPES OF TEXTURE—TYPE VI, COMPLEX TEXTURE
THREE - PROBLEMS IN ORCHESTRATION
ORCHESTRATION OF MELODY
BACKGROUND AND ACCOMPANIMENT.
SCORING OF CHORDS
VOICE LEADING AND COUNTERPOINT
CONCLUSION
INDEX
355
364
374
382
388
396
405
ans
Bt
452
461
463
FOREWORD
He true art of orchestration is inseparable from the creative act
| ‘of composing music, The sounds made by the orchestra are
the ultimate external manifestation of musical ideas germi-
nated in the mind of the composer. One skilled in the technique of or-
chestration may practice a somewhat lesser att of transcribing for
orchestra music originally writcen for another medium. This can be a
fine though difficult art, provided the orchestrator is able to put him-
self momentarily in the composer's place, and, so to speak, to think
the composer's thoughts, Failing this, the result is unlikely to amount
to more than a display of skill and craft, often of a superficial and
artificial nature,
Orchestration, in the sense here employed, refers to the process of
writing music for the orchestra, using principles of instrumental com-
bination essentially those observed operating in the scores of Haydn,
Mozart, and Beethoven, It is a common technique, employed in
present-day symphonic music as well as in that of the classical and
romantic periods. For the present purposes it will not be considered
to embrace earlier processes based on improvisation, fortuitous instru-
‘mental balance, and the stabilizing influence of a keyboard instrument,
with basso continuo.
The technical equipment of both composer and orchestrator must
include a thorough knowledge of the individual instruments, their
capabilities and characteristics, and a mental conception of the sound
of each. Then the effects and resources of instrumental combination
must be learned, involving such matters as balance of tone, mixed tone
colors, clarity in texture, and the like. Finally, the orchestra is to be
sensed as itself an individual instrument, flexibly employed to present
the music, in form and content, with fidelity and effectiveness.