Category: Orchestration

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yIKu3LSwcE

Gustav Holst – The Planets Op.32 Mercury, the Winged Messenger

Here is an example of the full score and following that is a two piano reduction. I have been racking my brain in several futile attempts to find the most economical and free way to do orchestral sketches on the computer – and I think the two piano reduction idea is fantastic. It seems like a painfully obvious approach to me now – but I was very frustrated with the idea of sketching with a single piano part because it’s difficult to think in tonal colors and sections with that approach. I don’t want to spend a lot of time editing – I want to input the ideas. The 2 piano approach gives me room for counterpoint between sections – and to insinuate different textures. Orchestrally, the counterpoint happens between sections and textures rather than just notes – so Viola!

Continue reading “Holst Mercury – Example of Orchestral Sketch and Piano Reduction” →

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzf0rvQa4Mc

Piano sketches by Aaron Copland of his Fanfare for the Common Man orchestra work. A look into how the composer prepares an orchestral sketch before full orchestration.

Continue reading “Copland Sketches – Fanfare for the Common Man” →

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9mrXagbva8

Insight into how Aaron Copland would sketch his music before full orchestration.

Appalachian Spring rough sketch page 15 by Aaron Copland. Copland wrote his orchestra sketches at the piano at a slow pace, often at night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Copland

Aaron Copland sketches can be found here:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/copland/index.html

Appalachian Spring second sketch, a little cleaner with more notes and info on score: