Orchestration (Zzz) by Walter Piston

by Walter Piston

Librarian's this is an alternate cover edition of the 1955 edition

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published March 1, 1955

Reviews

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very thorough but very antiquated read. Piston uses old and sometimes confusing language and grammar in an attempt to maintain academic voice, but it ends up taking three or four sentences, where it could have been done in one or two.

This was written in 1955, but I would love an updated version that had the musical examples available to listen two online.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good sturdy text on the subject...but i prefer kennan's text. and, there's nothing like studying scores. if you want a great lesson in orchestration, study stravinsky's rite of spring, petrouchka, agon, fireworks, etc.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic book on Orchestration that goes well with the other Piston books. I found this quite useful when working with MIDI orchestration.

[William Lauricella · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone just getting into orchestration, I believe this book was a good and valuable source while working on my first project of a piano concerto. This was originally written for my youth orchestra percussion ensemble, and it was now my challenge to take that material into an orchestra format. For not knowing a lot of knowledge beforehand, this was a great resource in assigning percussion parts to different instruments in the orchestra. I rate this book 5 stars for being a valuable resource to all musicians at whatever stage of working with an orchestra. This gave me a new confidence in all instruments of a concert orchestra.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't read this cover to cover but it's an excellent reference.

[✨ Brianna Raquel ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great resource for beginners, but I would recommend finding a book with more scores. Reading and analyzing scores can really help someone understand orchestration better.

[x · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in the library. I am not an advanced music composer so it might not be helpful for the experienced. It honestly helped me with harmony and creating textures and colors in my music which I loved. I would try to find it in a library first before purchasing it first since it can be costly.

[David]

This has been on my to-read list for, like, a decade.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best reference for Orchestration

[Bill Forsyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic fundamentals

[John Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first symphony was a bit weak. This is the go-to text for anybody in need of a primer for composing for orchestra.

[Niko Durr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very informative whenever I want to write a passage for an instrument...

[Tracey Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Very concise and understandable.