Studying at York
Instrumentation, Orchestration - MUS00049C
- Department: Music
- Module co-ordinator: Prof. Martin Suckling
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: C
- Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
- See module specification for other years: 2023-24
Module summary
Orchestration, but not just for orchestra. Colour, but not just 'colouring in'. Classes will focus on practical exercises and collaborating to hear your own work.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Spring Term 2021-22 |
Module aims
Instrumentation is not a simple matter of technique, of remembering ranges and registral characteristics, of understanding idiomatic writing, of distributing notes around an ensemble in an effective manner, though of course this know-how is important. Rather, it is creative discovering new sonorities; analytical clarifying (or disguising) structure; and transformative often entailing significant recomposition resulting in a new work at some remove from the original. Orchestration is generally considered in terms of expansion, but when conceived more broadly as instrumentation it also encompasses reduction and transcription: from the virtuoso solo tradition, to the arrangement of symphonies for domestic consumption in the days prior to broadcast and recording media, to chamber versions of large-scale works designed for the concert hall. All of these processes of instrumentation require attention to the following questions which are at once analytical and creative: What is essential in the music and what can be discarded? To what do I wish to draw a listeners attention? What is special about the instrumentation and how can I exploit it? Through the study of scores and a series of practical assignments, this course will encourage participants to form their own answers to these questions. This module is suitable for conductors and instrumentalists as well as composers. All participants must be prepared to play in a class ensemble for which several of the assignments will be written. These assignments will cover traditional orchestration, transcription, and recomposition. The course will be conducted through a series of lectures, workshops, and individual tutorials.
Module learning outcomes
Through meaningful, critical and creative engagement with a range of music, on completion of the module all students should have:
- acquired a general knowledge of orchestration technique;
- more detailed knowledge of the orchestrational approach taken in some individual works;
- arranged music for a variety of instrumentations;
- the ability to present score and parts impeccably;
- engaged in a variety of orchestrations from the instrumentalist's perspective and offered feedback to their peers.
Third years: in their independent work, students should demonstrate Learning Outcomes A1-7, 9 & A12
Assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Exercises |
N/A | 25 | Default |
| Practical Recital |
N/A | 75 | Default |
| Essay/coursework Exercises |
N/A | 25 | A |
| Essay/coursework Orchestration |
N/A | 75 | A |
| Essay/coursework Essay |
N/A | 75 | B |
| Essay/coursework Exercises |
N/A | 25 | B |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
- Class assignments (25%)
- One of the following (75%):
- ’Traditional’ orchestration of a solo or duo work (c.5 minutes).
- Recomposition of a solo or duo work for either large chamber ensemble or orchestra (c.5 minutes).
- Essay (c.3000 words), title chosen in agreement with project tutor.
- Recital (c.15 minutes) of transcriptions for candidate’s instrument, one of which must have been written by the candidate themselves.
Student’s choice of option, source music, target instrumentation, essay title, recital programme to be agreed with project tutor.
Reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Exercises |
N/A | 25 | Default |
| Practical Recital |
N/A | 75 | Default |
| Essay/coursework Exercises |
N/A | 25 | A |
| Essay/coursework Orchestration |
N/A | 75 | A |
| Essay/coursework Essay |
N/A | 75 | B |
| Essay/coursework Exercises |
N/A | 25 | B |
Module feedback
Report form with marks to student no later than 4 weeks from submission of assessment.
Indicative reading
- Adler, Samuel. The Study of Orchestration. New York; London: W.W. Norton, 2002.
- Gould, Elaine. Behind Bars: the definitive guide to music notation. London: Faber Music, 2011.
- Mathews, Paul (Ed.). Orchestration: an anthology of writings. New York; London: Routledge, 2006.
- Rimskij-Korsakov, Nikolaj Andreevic (Author), and Peter L. (Ed.) Alexander. Principles of Orchestration. Newbury Park: editor (CA) Newbury Park, CA, U.S.A., 1989.
- Sevsay, Ertugrul. The Cambridge Guide to Orchestration. Cambridge: CUP, 2013.
You should familiarise yourself with standard procedures in 18th- and 19th-century orchestral music – the best way to do this is simply to listen to as much of this as possible! Get to know the symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms - listen, and follow along with the score (easily available on IMSLP, also plenty of copies in the library).
Here is a (small!) list of interesting recompositions / transcriptions, some of which will be explored in more detail during the module:
- Benjamin: Piano Figures / Dance Figures
- Berio: Sequenza VIII / Corale
- Berg: Seven Early Songs
- Boulez: Notations
- Ernst/Schubert: Erlkönig
- Liszt/Wagner: ‘Liebestod’ from Tristan und Isolde
- Schoenberg (compl. Riehn)/Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
- Webern/Bach: Ricercar a 6
- Zender/Schubert: Winterreise