Josephine Koh

Understanding Orchestration, The Orchestra & Its Instruments

A comprehensive guide to instrumental composition, score reading and orchestral techniques. Who is it for? Music students preparing for advanced graded theory examinations, 'O' levels, 'A' levels, IB or university examinations. Music Theory Teachers who teach advanced level music theory, composition and arrangement. Part I: Every orchestral instrument is described and discussed in detail -its mechanism, its range, tone and timbre, techniques and limitations. Facts are supported with clear illustrations - photographs, graphics and musical scores. Period instruments, the predecessors of the modern makes, are presented in the context of their usage and existence. The combined effects of each ensemble - the string quartet, the woodwind choir, the brass choir and percussion ensemble are presented as unique entities. It is simply about all you need to know, including Keyboards and Voices, in a style suited to the needs of the modern musician. Part II: Beyond instruments, is the realm of orchestration; or namely, instrumentation. From the mature Baroque to the twentieth century, representative works of the greatest orchestrators are presented, with annotations that analyze and discuss their prominent features. The mystery soon unravels, as the author guides the readers through these timeless works.