suggested composers to study

[mr.j]

Hi, I want to improve my orchestration skills and I would like to know if anyone could suggest some scores to study.
Thanks to all.

[ttw]

Originally Posted by mr.j

Hi, I want to improve my orchestration skills and I would like to know if anyone could suggest some scores to study.
Thanks to all.

You cannot go wrong with Beethoven. On a more modern vein, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Mahler, R. Strauss.

[Thorolf]

Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Sheherezade” is a nice tutorial in orchestration. If you analyze this for starters, and understand why all the details are just so, you have come a loooong way.

Regards

[Boneman]

Henry Mancini

[stevel]

Originally Posted by mr.j

Hi, I want to improve my orchestration skills and I would like to know if anyone could suggest some scores to study.
Thanks to all.

You might check out Orchestration books as well:

Berlioz/Strauss

Rimsky-Korsakov

Walter Piston

Samuel Adler

Sam Adler's is used in most colleges today, and includes CD examples. Both it and the Piston are "current", though the Piston is a bit older. Adler contains some info on Saxes for example, Piston, very little. Obviously the others are much earlier, but certainly good information can be gleaned from them.

Another good source is the scores of "arrangers" who took piano music and orchestrated it - the most well-known being Ravel, with the orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition. But Ravel was an amazing orchestrator of his own works as well.

I would say also that most composers develop their own style of orchestration - Beethoven is different from Mozart. Strauss is different from Beethoven.

My favorites - that seem to use the orchestra well and have a significant body of work that's easy to hunt down:

Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Stravinsky, Debussy, Ravel, then maybe Bernard Hermann.

Obviously, many people feel Brahms, Mahler, and so on are great orchestrators as well. I've never personally liked their styles, but still, things can be learned from them.

Also, there are probably some pieces that shouldn't be overlooked. The two that spring to mind is Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, and Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. Each of those are virtual catalogs of orchestration and instrumental techniques.

I've of late become interested in many of the scores for TV done in the 60s - like the Get Smart or I Spy stuff - more especially The Avengers. While many of those are jazz tinged, they certainly are good orchestrations or arranging. Likewise, a lot of films in that time frame are very, very good, and uunfortunately overlooked. I saw a version of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Michael York (1977 - same year as Star Wars, which has a lot of great orchestration) that had a really great orchestral score - very well-composed and very well-orchestrated - in fact, I think it outshone the movie, though not in a way a non-musician might notice. Anyway, there are gems to be found everywhere.

HTH,
Steve

[stevel]

Originally Posted by ttw

You cannot go wrong with Beethoven. On a more modern vein, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Mahler, R. Strauss.

or, "somewhat, slightly more modern" :-)

Steve

[Student]

Michael Nyman is a good modern choice (Prospero's Books is gorgeously lush). For a little more avant-garde George Crumb is interesting. If you want to focus on percussive elements than Steve Reich is fascinating. If you want traditional sounds and ideas, Berlioz, Rimsky-Korsakov, Ravel and Stravinsky (particularly the early versions of his famous ballets) are good studies.