Instrumentation and Orchestration [Paperback]

Alfred Blatter (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534251870 | ISBN-13: 978-0534251871 | Publication Date: May 1, 1997 | Edition: 2

Intended for Orchestration and Composition courses for majors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer; 2 edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534251870
• ISBN-13: 978-0534251871
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an invaluable instrumentation text, February 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Instrumentation and Orchestration (Paperback)

1) Just because one has written previous works on a subject does not invalidate further works and further revelations on the subject.

2) Every book ever published contains inaccuracies. I'd rather chance a few unimportant inaccuracies for the depth of information that the book does provide.

3) One of the great strengths of the work is its completeness and willingness to tackle instruments that have been largely ignored for many years. The percussion section of the book is worth the cost of the book alone. I'd prefer a text that at least attempts to present relevant information over a book that won't even acknowledge that the "non-orchestral" instruments exist. And really, if you are looking for more advanced information on string instruments, there is a lot already out there. The "glories" of string instruments have been sung before and will be sung again ad nauseum.

4) The fingering charts provide are a starting place to depart from. The woodwind charts, in particular are extremely helpful and very thorough.

The work may be lacking a little in techniques of Orchestration (though there are interesting exercises and basic information on the subject), but as an Instrumentation text, it is invaluable. It is a great look beyond the tired, overplayed orchestral warhorses and is a resource for the new and innovative composers/arrangers looking to escape the cookie-cutter writing emphasized by many texts. It's one of few works that can help you understand what you >can< do, and not what you >should< do (in the author's opinion)... two utterly different but oft-mistaken concepts. If you were to follow three-quarters of the orchestration texts out there, you'd never hear anything but the typical "violins on the melody, woodwinds in thirds, brass playing chords, percussion sitting on their duffs reading magazines" that the older texts ram down your throat.

An excellent and thorough work. But if you want highly specialized information, ask a performer... they are always the best of resources.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of its kind, November 5, 2006

By 

Robert M. Freedman "Admirer of I.S." (Gilbert, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Instrumentation and Orchestration (Paperback)

I have been a professional arranger/orchestrator for nearly fifty years. My copy of the first edition of this book, which I obtained in 1982, is well worn from constant use because it is the best source of accurate information about the widest variety of instruments.

Alfred Blatter understood what an orchestrator wants and needs to know about the capabilities and limitations of the instrumental forces. For students, this book provides reliable data on which they can build a useful and dependable knowledge base. For experienced writers, it is a superb source of reminders as well as information about some instruments for which one may not have previously encountered.

The book's fingering charts have often helped me make decisions about how a tricky passage could be made more comfortable for the players. Information about accessible ranges for student performers vs. those of professionals has also been of immense value to me.

In short, this book is an excellent reference work.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book - for instrumentation, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Instrumentation and Orchestration (Hardcover)

Instrumentation and Orchestration should be titled just "Instrumentation."

The book goes in depth on practically every instrument available, explaining each instrument's specal features. It demonstrates how to notate a "smack tone" for a double-reed, or a "mouthpiece pop" for brass. It does in depth on brass mute effects and multiphonics, it shows picture after picture of instrument families (in the case of the clarinets, it dipicts the A-flat soprano clarient to the B-flat contrabass clarinet, and everything in between, including the basset horn in F).

Instrumentation and Orchestration highlights almost every percussion instrument seen in modern ensembles,and includes an apendix with fingering charts for every instrument discused earlier in the book. It even has a section on the voice and choral arrangements.

But it contains only 5 short chapters on orchistration, somthing stressed in the title of the book. If somone is looking for a book on orchistration, this would not be the book to buy. It may be extreemely helpful in demonstrating every instrument's unique charactaristics and how to notate them, but I would caution anyone buying this book purely for orchestration.