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By David Amos
 SAN DIEGO—When we listen to an orchestra playing, the three obvious elements that come to mind are melody, harmony, and rhythm. Rightly so. But, there is a fourth dimension, at times even more important that is part of the mix. Orchestration.
What is orchestration? It is the technique, experience, and talent of the composer to use the right instruments of the orchestra at the right time in order to create the effect desired. Some combinations of instruments simply sound good together, and some do not. A composer has to know the limitations and capabilities of each instrument, to take full advantage of the individual instrument and the section’s potential. Just the orchestration can made the difference between a lackluster and an effective piece of music.
In the history of classical music there have been some brilliant orchestrators, and some rather dull ones. One that often comes to mind is Robert Schumann. There is no doubt that he is one of the greatest composers who ever lived. I adore listening to practically anything he wrote. But his ability to orchestrate, or maybe the importance that he gave to it, has always been questioned. Many of his symphonies have been “doctored up’ by famous conductors, to improve on the musical ideas. When I was a conducting student in graduate school, our renowned teacher instructed us that it “was our duty” as conductors to look over the Schumann symphonies and correct the obvious instrumentation weaknesses. Even publishers have altered some of the manuscripts when noticing unplayable notes or instrumental voices which were important, but covered up and thereby, inaudible.
Of course, there are debates on this matter. Leonard Bernstein believed that Schumann knew exactly what he was doing, and that his orchestral scores should not be tampered with.
Just ask any instrumental musician about Chopin’s orchestral accompaniments to the piano works. The music is heavenly, but the orchestrations are dreadfully pedestrian.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have true virtuosi in the art of instrumentation. The first star that comes to mind is Hector Berlioz. He had a knack to make an orchestra sound spectacular. Listen carefully to his Symphonie Fantastique.
Others include Rimsky-Korsakov. His creations are wonderfully colorful, if not the most inspired in music history. They are enjoyable and respected because of the way he used the orchestral instruments to full advantage. Listen to Capriccio Espagnol. Or better yet, Scheherazade, which may qualify as the first minimalist work; it is very repetitious, but has always been an audience favorite because of the skillful orchestration.
Both Berlioz and Rimsky-Korsakov taught instrumentation and wrote books on the subject.
Can you thing of another popular classical work where the melody repeats over and over? Sure, it’s Maurice Ravel’s Bolero. Aside from the sensuous melody and incessant rhythm, what makes this piece such a hit? Instrumentation. Even the composer called it “fifteen minutes of orchestration.
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with no music”! But listen to his genius in his orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, adapted from the original piano solo version.
Another wonderful orchestrator was Igor Stravinsky. But here, I can illustrate his skill in a different way. In his ballet score to Peteuchka, in the circus, there is a dancing bear. To portray the bear, the composer gave the melody to the tuba, which has to be played in an uncomfortably high register, purposely, sounding awkward and forced. That was the idea, to show a grotesque animal dancing clumsily. If he would have given that tune to another instrument where it would be easier to play, the result would not have bees as effective.
Another great orchestrator was the late Morton Gould. I knew him personally, have conducted in recordings many of his works, and had the pleasure to receive his explicit instructions on which instrumental colors to be sure to bring out of the orchestra in the recording sessions. I especially recall his recommendations for his suite to the miniseries Holocaust.
And this is where the role of the conductor becomes crucial in this puzzle. Not many of us have had the luxury of receiving direct instructions from living composers. For music of the past, it has to be extracted from the score after careful study. The orchestral score may show many small fragments, short melodies, percussion accents, secondary, almost hidden melodies, and the like, and if the conductor does not bring this out during rehearsals, the effect may go unnoticed, and the composer’s intentions would not be fully realized.
Listen to a well known orchestral work, as conducted by different maestros. You will hear various orchestral voices emphasized, brought out, and accented. Others will be ignored . Some conductors have the magic touch to balance the different orchestral textures, to bring out delicate subtleties which others may miss. But, again, tread carefully. In recordings, the final result of orchestral balance may be the concept of the recording engineer as much as the conductor. Some conductors are fully involved in the editing and balancing phase of a recording, and others walk away and ignore it, leaving the decisions to others.
Then, there are musicians who specialize in orchestrating, not composing. Many Broadway and Hollywood musical theatre and film scores were composed by someone (who usually gets most of the credit and publicity) and given as a piano reduction for the orchestrator to put together. Sometimes, a few suggestions for the instruments are included. A perfect example of this was Robert Russell Bennett, who, aside from being a composer of many wonderful works, is best remembered for his delightful scoring of big-name musicals.
The use of the percussion instruments is also very important. These instruments are not only to crash and bang. If used properly, the percussion can enhance climactic moments, give a gentle touch to intensify a phrase, and introduce us to musical material which is to follow. Well played percussion is more often felt than heard.
Next time you listen to a live orchestral concert, or record, or radio-TV, keep in mind the role of the various instruments as they blend and contrast with each other. It is a fascinating study in itself and a source of added understanding and satisfaction.
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