Orchestration [Hardcover]

Walter Piston (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393097404 | ISBN-13: 978-0393097405 | Publication Date: March 17, 1955 | Edition: 1st

In this book Walter Piston again displays those qualities that distinguished his earlier books, Harmony and Counterpoint.

Again he draws upon his own wide knowledge and experience as composer and teacher to present all phases of the subject. No practical aspect of instrumentation for the orchestra is neglected, and comprehensive treatment is given to each significant component.

The author approaches orchestration from the premise that the principles can best be presented by analysis of music as it has been written.The essentials of instrument combination discussed here are those which can be observed operating in the scores of great composers from Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven down to our own day.

Orchestration is notable for the clarity and logic of its organization. From a consideration of the individual instruments and their technical problems the author skillfully develops his analysis of orchestration, covering his analysis of orchestration, covering instrumentation of primary and secondary melodies, part-writing, chords, and contrapuntal techniques. Finally, he discusses typical problems in orchestration together with some examples of their solutions.

Orchestration is profusely illustrated with hundreds of musical examples and with drawings of the various musical instruments that make up the modern orchestra.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Walter Piston was Professor of Music at Harvard University. An outstanding composer whose many works have been performed by leading orchestras and chamber ensembles both in the US and abroad, he received the Pulitzer Prize twice for distinguished musical composition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 488 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (March 17, 1955)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393097404
• ISBN-13: 978-0393097405
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second best orchestration book available, August 5, 2005

By 

Kuru (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orchestration (Hardcover)

The best book on this subject, the one that I actually sometimes refer to when composing, is Kennan's. Piston's book, however, should definitely be carefully studied by anyone wanting to master the art of classical orchestration. Piston goes deeper into each instrument than Kennan does, establishing a root level of knowledge on top of which Kennan can then serve as a handy daily reference. Piston relies heavily on examples from the core classical repertoire (well into the early 20th century but not beyond), so access to a good CD library will go a long way in bringing this book to life.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the one (but also buy the Forsyth), February 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Orchestration (Hardcover)

Wow! A reviewer below really hit the nail on the head. All I can do besides expressing my appreciation (thank you!) is to concur and amplify. I have on my shelf orchestration books by Kent Kennan, Cecil Forsyth, Rimsky-Korsakov, Hector Berlioz (revised by Richard Strauss), and Walter Piston. I have read Rene Leibowitz's and also read or skimmed through various others. The Walter Piston text is the last I acquired, and I really wish I'd bought it long ago. It makes clear what the others do not, what I had to learn by trial and error. It's writing is more plodding than Piston's "Counterpoint" and his "Harmony" (I mean Piston's "Harmony", not Mark Devoto's "Harmony"), but no more plodding than any other orchestration text except Cecil Forsyth's. The solution is to buy both the Piston and the Forsyth.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible of orchestration basics, April 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Orchestration (Hardcover)

This is it, the reference work you should have bought back in college when you first studied orchestration. It's comprehensive and comprehensible, thoroughly elaborating on the strengths and weaknesses (in all registers) of the standard orchestral palette. A bit lacking in imagination and inventiveness -- but, hey, it's a reference work...