Scoring for Orchestra

1
Scoring for Orchestra

• Thinking for Orchestra

2
Scoring for Orchestra

• The orchestra is a large, composite instrument.
• Consideration must be given to all the component
  parts.
• Ranges of the different instruments.
• Timbre of the instruments alone or in combination
  with others.
• The relative strength of the different
  instruments.
• The texture of every segment of the instruments
  range.
• Achieve maximum brilliance with minimum color
  (less is more). A large variety and constantly
  change colors and effects will obscure the form
  of the composition.

3
Scoring for Orchestra

• Use the orchestration to define the musical
  elements.
• Carefully balance the colors.
• Avoid having the entire orchestra sawing away all
  the time.
• One of the major functions of the orchestration
  is to clarify the form.

4
Orchestral Tutti

• The unison tutti is rare because of the
  limitations of range.
• Some instruments will be left out.
• Be very alert to the strength and timbre of the
  instruments.

5
Orchestral Tutti

• The octave tutti allows more instruments to be
  used.
• Again be sensitive to the strength and timbre.
• The multi-octave tutti has been frequently used
  to introduce new ideas, summarize old ideas, and
  state a primary melodic gesture before it is
  contrapuntally developed.

6
Distribution of Elements

• Foreground the main melody, motives, and/or
  gestures.
• Middleground important countermelodies and
  ideas.
• Background accompanimental figures and
  harmonies.
• The setting of the foreground effects all
  elements.
• Choose instruments and colors according to which
  most effectively communicates the musical ideas
  and form.

7
Voicing Chords

• The homophonic texture is mainly
  foreground-background.
• Make the melody notes more prominent than the
  harmony.
• Assign pitches to the instruments within their
  best registral positions so that they can be
  sounded at the desired dynamic.
• When doubling notes, find instruments that have
  an acoustic affinity for one another --
  especially when doubling at pitch.

8
Voicing Chords

• There are two main reasons for doubling within a
  chordal texture
• To raise the dynamic level
• To provide subtle coloristic nuances.
• Doubling at pitch usually results in the loss of
  individual color characteristics.
• Sustained doublings eventually get tiresome.
• Octave doublings often give a much clearer, more
  brilliant result, and can raise the dynamic level.

9
Other Textures

• The polyphonic texture consists of all three
  elements -- fore-, middle-, and background.
• It is a more sophisticated texture and therefore
  takes more consideration.
• A varied texture is most common in the literature.

10
Orchestrating Melody

• The dynamic level, range, timbral, and emotional
  qualities of the melody must be considered for
  the setting.
• To raise the dynamic level or strengthen its
  prominence
• Double at pitch (remember this changes the basic
  tone quality)
• Use octave doublings
• Double only some notes or create an elaboration
  of the melody (pg. 601).

11
Special Effects

• Scoring sforzandi
• Combine a string pizzicato with longer notes in
  other instruments
• Combine a short sforzando note in the trumpets or
  oboes with longer notes in the strings.
• The most effective scoring for forte subito piano
  is to have one section playing the fortissimo
  and before that note ends, add another section
  playing pianissimo.

12
Special Effects

• Dovetailing should be used any time a passage is
  set with different instruments swapping parts.
• Coloring notes can be achieved by adding
  instruments or using alternate fingerings on the
  same instrument.