Orchestration

by Cecil Forsyth

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Music, Reference, Nonfiction

556 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

Reviews

[Abe Fabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite orchestration book! The strengths of this book are its abilities to delve into the psychology of the players of all of the various orchestral instruments and by extension, the "soul" of each instrument, and, in its very British way, to charm the reader with colorful turns of phrase. To my taste, it is the least dry presentation of the subject of orchestration (which has the potential of being deathly boring.) I often enjoy picking up this book and re-reading it while sipping some tea or a hot toddy.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you're not a musician Forsyth's bell époque style and British gumption are wonderfully refreshing in the age of twitspeak.

[Eric Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is apparently a classic text on the subject - it's very fun to read, because it's somewhat outdated and somewhat UK-centric, but in an entertaining way. He's very thorough about what works and what doesn't for each instrument, and how best to use different techniques in different situations.