Orchestration (Paperback)

by Cecil Forsyth (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Probably best general book on the subject. Thorough discussion of 57 instruments, technical aspects of writing for each, much else.

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Product Details Paperback: 576 pages Publisher: Dover Publications; New edition edition (October 1, 1982) Language: English ISBN-10: 0486243834 ISBN-13: 978-0486243832 Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #426,807 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #64 in  Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Classical > Chamber Music

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 28 of 29 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars eminently usable, November 28, 1999 By A Customer The introduction to Cecil Forsyth's "Orchestration" is by William Bolcolm, a prominent American composer very much of our time. (His opera "A View from the Bridge" premiered November 1999 and was favorably reviewed in "Newsweek", "Time Magazine", and "The New York Times.") As William Bolcolm points out, very little of this book is out of date--a few tiny, insignificant bits; it remains "eminently usable". It also remains head and shoulders above the scores of tedious, dull, and perfunctory orchestration manuals subsequently published. One of its many virtues is its immersion in what Mr. Bolcolm calls "technical culture": It imparts to you a sense of what it's like to play the various orchestral instruments. Future fetishists (those wishing to obliterate the past and present in sacrificial rite to a future they can know as little as you and I) take note: what is best is what endures. 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Orchestration by Forsythe, December 21, 1999 By  Peter Alexander (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews In Los Angeles, among the top composers (Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith to list 2) on the A list, this is THE book. Forsythe covers the subject with characteristic dry British wit, but his referencing is impeccable, including covering specialty instruments (like the Serpent, Wagnerian tubas, and many more) that are simply not covered in the other titles. His explanations are indepth, accurate, and still very usable. If you can only afford one book, get this one. 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, May 24, 2000 By  Richard L. Green (Studio City, California) - See all my reviews An excellent and authoritative text. There have been some changes in the capabilities of the instruments that are not reflected in the text, and of course it is missing all of the more modern and electronic instruments (this has the same unabridged text as the 1935 edition), but it's still very useful and well-written. One (small) lack: after reading the section on the harp, I still greatly prefer the standard on that subject, "Harp Scoring" by Stanley Chaloupka, for discussion of composing or orchestrating for the harp. I feel this book should be in the library of anyone serious about orchestration or composing for an orchestra.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Dated, but full of knowledge. The book is old, however, the information is great. Lots of references to common instruments, as well as more obscure instruments. Read more Published on November 24, 2006 by R. Rager 3.0 out of 5 stars A tour of the instruments...but how to combine them? This book is organized as a tour of the many instruments that comprise an orchestra, together with description about how each instrument sounds, and how it might be used. Read more Published on June 20, 2006 by J. Winokur 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, slightly misleading title... This book is superb, very indepth. I bought it, however, thinking it was going to discuss topics such as instrumental combinations, balance of tone, and other concepts more... Read more Published on January 2, 2006 by M. Sweetz 3.0 out of 5 stars Historical interest While Forsythe offers a great deal of depth and detail, much of it I found superfluous unless you are a musicologist, and I am a musicologist. Read more Published on November 23, 2005 by D. A. Smith 5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful as it is useful Like most Dover books, this British text is a reprint of a highly esteemed publication that went out of print for reasons having more to do with capitalism than science. Read more Published on February 19, 2003 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant I've got a small shelf of orchestration books and this is easily the best of the lot. While it doesn't talk as much about combinations of instruments as Rimsky-Korsakoff's book,... Read more Published on April 17, 2001 by D. A. Hosek 5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Read I am an amateur orchestrationist and I loved this book. The history of the instruments gave me a greater understanding of each group and their strengths and weaknesses. Read more Published on December 21, 1999 by Raphael P. Hunt 1.0 out of 5 stars Modern vs. postmodern thought Despite the vast amount of knowledge displayed by the author, Forsyth's work has fallen to the thought process of the now approatching 21st century student of music. Read more Published on November 23, 1999 by Matthew P. Ronnei 5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful This is one of my very favorite books--not merely one of my very favorite orchestration books, not merely one of my very favorite music theory books. Read more Published on March 29, 1999 4.0 out of 5 stars A good refference Orchestration is a wonderful refference for anyone with an iterest in musical instruments. It has a section for every instrument in the orchestra describing the vital facts about... Read more Published on November 23, 1998 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; New edition edition (October 1, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486243834
• ISBN-13: 978-0486243832
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #426,807 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #64 in

  Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Classical > Chamber Music

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eminently usable, November 28, 1999

By A Customer

The introduction to Cecil Forsyth's "Orchestration" is by William Bolcolm, a prominent American composer very much of our time. (His opera "A View from the Bridge" premiered November 1999 and was favorably reviewed in "Newsweek", "Time Magazine", and "The New York Times.") As William Bolcolm points out, very little of this book is out of date--a few tiny, insignificant bits; it remains "eminently usable". It also remains head and shoulders above the scores of tedious, dull, and perfunctory orchestration manuals subsequently published. One of its many virtues is its immersion in what Mr. Bolcolm calls "technical culture": It imparts to you a sense of what it's like to play the various orchestral instruments. Future fetishists (those wishing to obliterate the past and present in sacrificial rite to a future they can know as little as you and I) take note: what is best is what endures.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Orchestration by Forsythe, December 21, 1999

By	Peter Alexander (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

In Los Angeles, among the top composers (Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith to list 2) on the A list, this is THE book. Forsythe covers the subject with characteristic dry British wit, but his referencing is impeccable, including covering specialty instruments (like the Serpent, Wagnerian tubas, and many more) that are simply not covered in the other titles. His explanations are indepth, accurate, and still very usable. If you can only afford one book, get this one.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, May 24, 2000

By	Richard L. Green (Studio City, California) - See all my reviews

An excellent and authoritative text. There have been some changes in the capabilities of the instruments that are not reflected in the text, and of course it is missing all of the more modern and electronic instruments (this has the same unabridged text as the 1935 edition), but it's still very useful and well-written.

One (small) lack: after reading the section on the harp, I still greatly prefer the standard on that subject, "Harp Scoring" by Stanley Chaloupka, for discussion of composing or orchestrating for the harp.

I feel this book should be in the library of anyone serious about orchestration or composing for an orchestra.