Though it looks quite straightforward on the surface, this passage is a nightmare for players. Note how the flutes start simply, then gain in richness of overtones as they rise until the whole harmony glows with a pearly luminescence. Read the short-score version I’ve provided along to a decent recording. The Mendelssohn excerpt above illustrates a keen awareness of wind instrument resonance, and the flute’s role in making it radiant. Of course, subverting that clarity can be much more interesting and yet, such subversions sound more informed when the composer knows where they’re departing from. The more consonant (similar to the harmonic series) these relationships are devised, the clearer the sound. Finally, flutes sit atop all, fulfilling the combined potential of all the overtones. Oboes clarify any unevenness that might be developing between bassoon and clarinet overtones with a quite penetrating, direct sound. Clarinets sit very well at an octave or octave-and-a-5th above the bassoons, while encouraging overtones above of a major 3rd, 5th, or 9th. Bassoons provide a bass rich with potentially complementary overtones. Each general timbre of each wind family contributes to an overall harmonic texture with a smoother, more colourful mix. The wind section as it exists today is a nicely balanced set of timbres. This textural resonance, though fascinating, has its limits, which explains the eventual ascendancy of the flute by the end of the Classical period (not to mention the addition of the clarinet). The bassoons form the root of the harmony, and the oboes complete it as the top voice. It’s not only that oboes and bassoons abound, but also that they form upper and lower boundaries to the sound picture. What you may notice from this study is that the full wind ensemble without flutes has a pungent character, a chesty, earthy type of sound. Haydn also wrote several divertimentos that feature winds without flute, which also apply in this regard. Have a listen to a few movements from a variety of such works, focusing on the overall sound picture, especially in homophonic passages with fully-scored harmony. Mozart composed several, including his most famous, the Serenade in B-flat K.361 (“Gran Partita”). It’s instructive to score-read and listen to Classical-era wind band compositions, particularly those without flute. Tip 9: Think of the bigger picture when scoring flute and piccolo as the top voice of a harmony, in how their timbre fulfils the inherent spectrum of overtones. That information can work in conjunction with tips such as the one below, putting the principles of orchestration into practice.įor more information about 100 Orchestration Tips, visit its page at the Orchestration Online website. These sister courses, to be released later this year, will introduce the wind families and examine how they work together orchestrally, with many audio and visual samples of top players at work. Ask.Audio is running a series of chapters excerpted from the book to celebrate the release of Orchestration 102: The Wind Section and as a prelude to the release of my upcoming course Orchestration 103: Wind Instruments. Recently, I completed the book 100 Orchestration Tips, a collection of advice, insight, and practical approach from my decades of work as an orchestral composer and arranger.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |