Orchestration study
Samuel Adler's treatise has finally been translated into French and considerably expanded.
Many French-speaking composers and musicians have long been hoping for a French edition of Adler's work, recognized as one of the leading treatises on orchestration alongside those by Rimsky-Korsakov, Casella and Koechlin. Editions Lemoine have not contented themselves with a simple translation, based on the third revised edition of 2002, but have expanded the work by a third: in addition to three chapters by Bruno Gillet on voice and writing for vocal group, and a study by Gilbert Amy on the use of the orchestra in contemporary music, translator Philippe Vernier has added a considerable number of notes and comments, grouped together at the end of the volume, which provide additional information and details that enrich and deepen the original work. The detailed index has also been considerably enlarged, making it quick and easy to find what you're looking for. A sturdy, high-quality binding preserves the 1100 pages of this reference work.
Samuel Adler not only describes the possibilities of each instrument individually, but also studies each instrumental group alone or in combination with other groups, before detailing practical orchestration for the symphony orchestra. Numerous examples from the orchestral literature, from Giovanni Gabrieli to the present day, are analyzed, including excerpts from concertante works and operas. The chapter dedicated to transcriptions also addresses the case of incomplete or heterogeneous instrumental formations. The author takes practical considerations into account, for example when arranging the various percussion parts; an entire chapter is even devoted to the presentation and layout of scores, as well as to the preparation of separate parts. An optional boxed set of six multimedia CDs, including recordings of the musical examples, is also available for purchase.
Samuel Adler, translation, additional notes and index by Philippe Vernier, expanded French edition by Gilbert Amy and Bruno Gillet : étude de l'orchestration, 1136 p., € 92.00, éditions Henry Lemoine, 2011, ISBN 979-02-30982122
Samuel Adler/Peter Hesterman, The Study of orchestration, 6 CDs, € 130.00, ISBN 9780393102833
