The Orchestra: Orchestral Techniques and Combinations

A respected scholar of the turn-of-the-century, Ebenezer Prout spent a decade completing a series of theoretical works that were warmly received throughout the professional world. Among these labors of love and high professionalism was this thorough treatise on the elements, character, and function of orchestral sound--how each section of the orchestra functions both alone and in concert with others. Commentary is supported throughout by generous examples from the standard concert literature. Here is a Berlioz example of the string section imitating a guitar; how wind passages in a Brahms symphony are divided between different instruments; examples by Wagner and Rossini of one group pitted against the other; the effect of contrasting color in music by Haydn and Tchaikovsky, and so on. In his succinct and informal style, Prout offers both students and growing professionals one of the best overviews of orchestral writing available. Unabridged republication of the work originally published by Augener, London, 1899. Analytical Index. Index of Musical Illustrations.