For this exercise, and to get a sense of the possibilities, I have listened to three worlds from different eras and styles. In Giacinto Scelsi’s (1905-1988) Anahit (1965), I noticed that the instruments are set to produce extended techniques to introduce an eerie mood to the piece. Although some instruments stand out to provide a choice of colour, like the brass section in mid-range and woodwinds, the core of the compositions seems to be the whole orchestra used as a single instrument. Upon listening, I could perceive the following extended techniques, mutes, trills, tremolos and pizzicato. It seems like the lower ranges of the instruments are employed to create a dark and sombre character, while the mid-ranges somehow produce a sense of stability and flow. The high ranges are used mainly to protrude a specific section of the orchestra or single instrument. It will seem, though, that the solo violin has a primordial role. On the contrary, in Lento (1990) by Howard Skempton (1947-Present), the use of instrumentation seems to be assigned by section. The first section of the composition seems to be dominated by the strings. In the subsequent section, he employs the strings and brass, then the strings, brass and woodwinds and ultimately, the percussion section is added in sequence. This seems to be the coherence of the instrumentation used. Skempton does not seem to involve any solo roles. Furthermore, the priority of the composition appears to be a series of chord progressions. Skempton balances the high range of the instruments to provide a melodic contour and clarity with the lower range of the instruments to add thickness and ground to the soft-sounding harmonic progression. The lightness and airy character are due to the dynamics and the high pitches, and possibly the distribution of notes. At some point, in the beginning of the piece, the violins seem to play harmonics. In contrast, Richard Wagner’s (1813-1883) Parsifal, Act 1. Prelude (1874) appears to have a powerful sound thanks to the application of tutti orchestra and fortissimo dynamics. The power also is provided by the use of larger sections with more instruments. Wagner appears to contrast the characteristics of the strings, woodwinds and brass in a series of solos and in a combination of instruments, creating in this manner various colours and sounds. I will be studying this prelude more in detail and analysing the use of solo instruments and the combination as it seems a great work to acquire a lot of knowledge from. However, as a quick sense of the possibilities, the cellos and horns seem to be a good combination for slow passages, even studied in other books that bassoon and cello are normally playing together. Perhaps assigning a different combination of instruments, rather than the ones established in books, creates a personal voice in orchestration. The woodwinds seem to be applied to decorate the end of other instruments’ phrases and to imitate or double other instruments.
Orchestration and Arrangement 