Professional Orchestration: A Practical Handbook - From Piano to Strings

Book excerpt: In "Professional Orchestration: A Practical Handbook - From Piano to Strings", conductor/composer Joseph Wagner, Founder of the Boston Civic Symphony and former Composer-in-Residence at Pepperdine University, teaches you applied orchestration by demonstrating 30 different techniques within "The Reference Chart of Keyboard Idioms" for transcribing piano parts and piano devices to the string section. Techniques covered include Broken Intervals, Broken Chords, Melodic Lines and Figurations, Implied Bass Parts, Single Note Interval and Chord Repetitions, 2-3 Part Homophonic Music, Spacing Problems, Contrast Problems, Voice Leading, Obbligato, Antiphonal Effects, Tremolo Types, and Dance Forms. Designed for either personal or classroom use. Included in "From Piano to Strings" is the complete piano solo and separate string ensemble adaption of Grieg's "Holberg Suite" demonstrating how these techniques are applied and work in real practice. The Appendix contains a bonus String Ensemble template for you to copy and do your studies with and the "Chart of String Unisons" to help you work out common string combinations. Available for separate purchase is the "Workbook" with audio files that gives you dozens of homework examples to orchestrate. The "Workbook" is used with all three handbooks in the series - starting with "From Piano to Strings", then "From Piano to Woodwinds", and finally "From Piano to Orchestra". "From Piano to Strings" builds both orchestration and composition skills for live performance, but also develops MIDI mockup and recording skills. Companion titles for this series available for separate purchase are Alexander Publishing's "Professional Orchestration Volume 1: Solo Instruments and Instrumentation Notes" and "Volume 2A: Orchestrating the Melody Within the String Section".