Reid School of Music MMus Orchestration Course Organiser: Professor Peter Nelson Course Lecturer & Tutor: Dr Derek Williams Session 2014-15 Course blog is at: https://sites.eca.ed.ac.uk/mmus-orchestration Classes THURSDAYS at 4.10 5.00 pm in Lecture Room B : weekly in weeks 1-11. Tutorials Sept 26; Oct 3, 17, 31; Nov 21. Work will be set each week by the course tutor. Assessments There will be ONE assessment (Total value 100%): a portfolio of two contrasting pieces, one for full symphony orchestra (60%), the second for a jazz orchestra (40%). The second piece will aim to reflect your particular compositional interest, however you may make an approved personal selection of equivalent standard. Both may be considered suitable for synchronisation with film. This must be submitted to the Postgraduate Office by 16.00 on Wednesday 3rd December 2014 [TWO copies]. Requirements You may submit either a handwritten or computer generated score. For handwritten submission, you will need 18-24 stave ms. paper that may be purchased from the Music Office. Please use white paper, not cream. You should write using a B pencil, available from most stationers. If you use Sibelius, Finale or other notation software, the score must be still submitted in hard copy printed form. You may also send a copy in PDF format by email to Derek.Williams@ed.ac.uk, together with an audio recording of either the scorewriter output or a live performance if desired. Bibliography Elaine Gould, Behind Bars, Faber Music, 2011 Black, D. & Tom Gerou. Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing, 1998. Del Mar, N. Anatomy of the Orchestra. London: Faber, 1981. Lawson, C. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to the Orchestra. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003 Rimsky-Korsakov, N., M. Steinberg (ed.), trans. E. Agate. The Principles of Orchestration. Toronto: Dover Publications, 1964. Cecil Forsyth, Orchestration, Dover Books, 1914 William Russo, Composing for the Jazz Orchestra, University of Chicago Press, 1973
Listening Wagner, Siegfried Overture (from Der Ring Des Nibelung) Mahler, Symphony No 6 Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherezade Ravel/Moussorgsky, Pictures At An Exhibition Strauss, Alpine Symphony Stravinksy, Le Sacre du Printemps Ligeti, Atmospheres Hermann, Psycho Goldsmith, Star Trek Williams, Harry Potter Lectures 1. Week 1 (18 Sept.): FROM PERFORMANCE TO NOTATION AND BACK a. Quick Questionnaire b. Introduction to the course c. Definition of terms: i. Improvisation ii. Composition iii. Transcription iv. Arranging v. Orchestration d. Transcription by ear to notation or to DAW e. Musical contrasts and emotions: Pitch, Tempo, Dynamics, Texture, Articulation, Timbre, Tonality f. Structure g. Scorewriter applications, score editors in DAW 2. Week 2 (25 Sept.) ASSEMBLING AN ARRANGEMENT a. Arranging Instrumental Choirs from Piano Score into short score: 4 blocks (Strings, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion) b. Improvised orchestration with brought instruments c. Texture d. Atonal, diatonic and chromatic harmony e. Voice leading, polyphonic lines within homophonic structures, suspension: preparation, impact and resolution f. Block voicing g. Before and After: Arrangement as composition
3. Week 3 (2 Oct.) STRINGS a. Use in chamber music and orchestral music b. Performance: i. Tessitura ii. Bowing and phrasing iii. Techniques iv. Harmonics v. Voicing c. Working with Jazz & Pop 4. Week 4 (9 Oct.) WOODWIND & BRASS a. Use in chamber music and orchestral music b. Performance: i. Tessitura ii. Mutes iii. Eb, A, Bb, Bass Clarinets, Conrabassoon when to use? iv. Transposing instruments v. Enharmonic spelling vi. Breathing c. Working with Jazz & Pop 5. Week 5 (16 Oct.) PERCUSSION, ELECTRONICS, LINEUPS a. Percussion: i. Tuned and untuned ii. Notation conventions b. Electronics: i. Notation and placement in score c. Layout of the score: i. String Quartet ii. Piano Trio iii. Wind Octet iv. Chamber Orchestra v. Romantic Symphony Orchestra vi. Big Band Jazz Orchestra vii. Film Orchestra
6. Week 6 (23 Oct.) THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA a. Orchestral techniques: i. R. Wagner ii. G. Mahler iii. R. Strauss 7. Week 7 (30 Oct.) THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA a. Orchestral techniques: i. N. Rimsky-Korsakov ii. Ravel iii. Stravinsky iv. Ligeti 8. Week 8 (6 Nov.) THE JAZZ ORCHESTRA a. The Working Orchestrator: i. Transcription ii. Arranging iii. Orchestration iv. House Style: Fonts Vertical and horizontal spacing Custom objects Bar numbers, page numbers Expression Tempo & Metronome markings b. Composers: i. George Gershwin ii. Nelson Riddle 9. Week 9 (13 Nov.) THE FILM ORCHESTRA a. Composers: i. Bernard Hermann ii. Jerry Goldsmith iii. John Williams b. Syncing with film via DAW and scorewriter c. Underscoring with dialogue and FX
10. Week 10 (20 Nov.) PRACTICAL PROJECT a. A client s perspective Pete Warburton & Kev Hay (25 minutes) b. Preparation for recording sessions: i. Booking your orchestra ii. Paying musicians performance royalties issues iii. Conductor Score iv. Musicians Parts v. Preparing for recording. Setting up the recording hall: seating, tuning piano, paying musicians, music stands, headphones, entry, set up time, pull down time, choice of mics vi. Conducting/performing in sync to film via click track or conductor or both, in sections or with whole orchestra 11. Week 11 (27 Nov.) RIGHTS, RE-ORCHESTRATION a. Rights: i. Copyright ii. Performance Royalties iii. Producer s Points b. Re-orchestration i. From String Quartet to Wind Octet ii. From Brass Quintet to Piano Quintet c. Q & A