Workbook for the Study of Orchestration [Paperback]

Samuel Adler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1989 | ISBN-10: 0393958086 | ISBN-13: 978-0393958089 | Edition: 2nd

The workbook reviews and reinforces the techniques discussed in each chapter of the text. It includes graded self-tests about each choir of the orchestra, as well as worksheets on special topics. The new edition features a broader array of "Listen and Score" exercises as well as opportunities for students to practice reducing orchestral scores to piano scores.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Samuel Adler, Professor Emeritus at the Eastman School of Music, is currently teaching at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. He has held the title of visiting professor at many schools throughout the country and abroad, giving master classes in composition, orchestration, and conducting. Professor Adler has gained considerable recognition as a composer (his compositions have been performed by such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony), and has received numerous awards and grants. He has also been guest conductor for many prominent symphony orchestras. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 2nd edition (December 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393958086
• ISBN-13: 978-0393958089
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,252,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entirely Dispensible Companion to an Indispensible Textbook, March 19, 2001

By 

Dr. Christopher Coleman (HONG KONG) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workbook for the Study of Orchestration (Paperback)

Each time I've taught orchestration I've used Samuel Adler's The Study of Orchestration book and CD. Although I have reservations about the text (which I've enumerated in my review here at amazon.com), I think it is the best available text and the accompanying CDs really make the set invaluable. I've never been comfortable with the workbook, however, and in fact have never used it for class. It is not entirely without value--for example, the passage on string bowings is very helpful (Worksheet 2), and for a teacher this provides material ready at hand for exercises in transposition, clefs, harmonics, and the like, which are generally satisfactory. Much of the workbook, however, takes an historical approach to the teaching of orchestration which I am uncomfortable with for most students. Adler uses "Listen and Score" exercises repeatedly, in which the student is instructed to listen to a passage (included on the CD set that accompanies the text) given in piano or short score and instructed to orchestrate it exactly as they heard it. While these can be helpful in the early stages, I can't understand why one would want to encourage a student to write for 2 horns in C and 2 horns in Eb as Berlioz did. Modern instruments have transcended many of the difficulties that earlier composers faced, and to learn to score for those instruments in the style of a particular composer may be of some historical interest, but little practical worth. There is the decided advantage for the teacher of answers being either right (the way composer X did it) or wrong (anything else)--but the nature of orchestration belies that duality. Often in orchestration many choices are equally right; but if a passage must be notated choices must be made. To make a particular choice does not invalidate the viability of an alternate choice.

Other exercises are downright quirky. Worksheet 14 calls for the student to transcribe a Bach organ prelude for four percussionists, all playing non-pitched percussion. While this might be a lot of fun, I doubt it is the best way to learn the use of non-pitched percussion for orchestrational purposes.

Missing almost entirely is any material on the wind band. Where winds are considered, they are considered only as the wind section of an orchestra. True, the set is not titled The Study of Orchestration and Band Arranging, but since most students (in the US, at least) will be much more likely to face bands rather than full orchestras in their professional life, such a section would be of great worth.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get It Down, October 25, 2000

By 

mel villena (Pasig City, Metro Manila Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workbook for the Study of Orchestration (Paperback)

This workbook is a must-have for the serious student of orchestration and all musicians who would like to get familiar with the process of "sounds" in the orchestra(symphony/small ensembles).A great way for developing,through listening and writing practice, the "mind's ear and eye" relationship when scoring and getting music down in score paper.The workbook/text book/CD edtion combination is the next best thing if you can't get to a real live classroom instruction set up!And even if you can,it will surely enhance the studying process and would surely last a lifetime.Unbeatable.Essential.Get it!

13 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible, February 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Workbook: for The Study of Orchestration, Third Edition (No. 1) (Paperback)

First of all, I would like to say that the text and cds for The Study of Orchestration are excellent (with a few exceptions). However, this workbook is horrible. The exercises make no sense and the instructions for doing them are unclear and confusing at best. Often these exercises include things that were not present in the book or concepts are presented in a manner different from the text. There are a huge number of mistakes in the workbook, especially in regard to track numbers on the cds (sold separately). Avoid this at all costs. It has nothing to offer. Any competent teacher should be able to come up with their own exercises that would have much more practical value. Unfortunately, I am in an arranging and scoring class where the teacher seems to think this book is the best thing since sliced bread. What a moron.