For those Young Composers out there - a Blog about Orchestration

By -

I've often thought I'd like to write a series of posts about orchestration, with the idea of eventually putting these posts into a collection and publishing them. But then I look at my book shelf and realize I already have 8 books on orchestration, with countless others on composition related material. Who am I kidding trying to compare myself with Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, Kennan or Adler??? (Ok, unless you're an orchestration geek like me, those last two names may not be that familiar).

Still, there are lots of great books out there. PLUS, there are some great websites. Young Composers not only has a great forum for posting your music to get comments from other composers, but it has links to a variety of helpful resources regarding all sorts of compositional skills. MusicArrangers.com has lessons in theory, arranging and more for beginners to professional. Dr. Brian Blood created music theory & history online which is one of the most complete theory references on the internet. 8notes.com has some theory lessons as well. All of these (and many more) are resources for budding composers.

However, I was introduced to yet another website/blog - berkleemusicblogs.com, which hosts posts by Ben Newhouse on Contemporary Orchestration Techniques. I can't say as his posts are all that numerous as yet, but the information is straightforward and easy to understand. If you're just starting out as a composer and reading the highly technical manuals of advanced theory classes make your head swim, this might just be the sort of information you are looking for.

If you have a website that was not listed and think it should be, post and comment and let me know. Always glad to get the word out on resources for the would-be composer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Role of Music in Opera

By -
There are numerous books on the topic, and every composer, librettist, director, singer and audience member has their opinion as to what role the music should play in an opera. In a play without music, the words ought to support the meaning behind a character's actions. However, in the case of action movies, often times the action is what tells the story and there aren't words, just images to forward the plot. We might hear music to accompany action, build tension, but the action tells the story. Musicals tend to speak until the emotion of the moment just "has" to break out in song - unless it's something like "Mama Mia" where the dialog is the rails we travel on between songs; the songs themselves, written before the concept of the musical, are the focus of the production, while the story is secondary. Operas are a different beast. The music provides emotion to the words spoken, but it also plays the role of ambience when there is only action. In &quo
Read more

Acclaimed Fauré Quartett returns to Deutsche Grammophon with their first recording of Brahms

By -
Image
The Fauré Quartett continues to add authoritative recordings to the chamber music catalog with their new recording of two Brahms quartets, available from Deutsche Grammophon on January 12, 2010. These large, some say symphonic, works test the limits of technical and musical capabilities, and the Fauré Quartett once again proves why they are one of the most acclaimed ensembles performing today. Within a short period of time the Fauré Quartett has conquered the great concert halls of London , Paris , Berlin , Amsterdam , Brussels , Geneva , Hamburg , Frankfurt, Milan , Buenos Aires , Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere. “They attract superlatives wherever they go,” wrote The Strad following a concert at London ’s Wigmore Hall, while the Süddeutsche Zeitung praised them for a performance that “brought tremendous pleasure by highlighting interpretative details that had scarcely ever been heard before”. The Fauré Quartett strives to achieve a unique sound for Brahms (as indeed for every work)
Read more

Episode 210b: Joyeuse le départ

By -
Image
Podcast:  Play in new window  |  Download Subscribe:  Apple Podcasts  |  Android  |  Google Play  |  Stitcher  |  TuneIn  |  RSS Provost Cunningham has Transmigrated, but to where! What is Dr Sage going to do with his body? And how can she bring home her friends, Abigail and Erasmus, without also bring home Cunningham? What are they going to say when they find the “skeleton” she’s hiding in her closet? Cast: Eddie Louise Clark  as Dr Sage Chip Clark  as Professor Savant Justin Bremer  as the Narrator Emily Riley Piatt  as Abigail Entwhistle, Calypso & Dean Stewart Written by  Eddie Louise Theme music by  Unwoman Sound Design by  Chip Michael
Read more