Classic Orchestration Manuals Online

A look at classic orchestration manuals by Berlioz, Widor, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Forsyth, now available for free on IMSLP and Google Books.

The Technique of the Modern Orchestra - Charles-Marie Widor
http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Widor,_Charles-Marie
Refer under "T"

Principles of Orchestration - Rimsky-Korsakov
http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Rimsky-Korsakov,_Nikolay
Refer under "P"

Grand Treatise on Instrumentation and Modern Orchestration - Hector Berlioz/Richard Strauss
http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Berlioz,_Hector
Refer under "G"

Orchestration - Cecil Forsyth
This book is now available in its entirety on Open Library:
http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924022381440#page/n5/mode/2up
It has also been uploaded to IMSLP:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Forsyth,_Cecil
Refer under "O"

Choral Orchestration - Cecil Forsyth
http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Forsyth,_Cecil
Refer under "C"

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[NedMcPhie]

Most of these links aren't working anymore :(

[OrchestrationOnline]

@NedMcPhie Thanks for the heads-up, I will check these out and update soon.

[OrchestrationOnline]

@NedMcPhie I see the problem - YouTube changed their text protocols so that the end parentheses are no longer read in a hyperlink...duh! Also, every URL of IMSLP linking to an individual work now ends with an end parenthesis. I've updated the text so that it links to the composer pages (and then you can look up the manuals alphabetically), but this is pretty silly of both YouTube and IMSLP.

[gentrytunes]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge of these orchestration manuals. They'll be a good next step after my rather basic orchestration book from college.

You mentioned that some of these books were obsolete in places. Does that have to do with the transition from older instruments such as the serpent to our modern counterparts, less-drastic changes and improvements in construction, or other factors? I'd like to have a way to tell which advice is still applicable and which has gone by the wayside.

[OrchestrationOnline]

@gentrytunes Areas of obsolescence: range and construction of instruments; technical limitations; wind key systems, especially as applied to shakes and trills; brass valve and trigger developments; overall viewpoint and philosophy; some notation rules for winds and brass; inclusion of outdated instruments; blind spots for authors in the music of other countries current to first publication; and other details.

If your college book was too basic, get the Adler next. These books are no substitute.

[composingchef]

Aw, man! I bought all these books over the years. I only found your You Tube page today. Oh well, thanks for all you are doing. I look forward to watching your vids and learning a lot. :) I believe I'm a pretty good composer, I just know that my orchestration is not as "good" as it should be. Onward...

[OrchestrationOnline]

@composingchef Good on you for buying the books! Dover is a righteous reprint company, and they could use the support. But not only that, you can thumb through the books rather than fiddling around with a screen. I own all of these myself, and prefer hard copy - but how nice that the starving composer-in-training does not have to give up eating lunch for a day in order to read one of these tomes. See you on the next video!

[tonytrilex]

@axellidenbrock

this is amazing you translated it!!!

[Hauris]

Thank you for all these great videos you do, it really helps a lot. If you ever have the time one day, could you do one on how to copyright your works?

[axellidenbrock]

I understand your point. Thanks for your answer. Translate the Koechlin's would a very big challenge. Surely you know the text of William Lovelock "The elements of orchestral arrangement", recently I made a spanish version. It deserves to be reprinted.