Product Description

The third edition of this high successful orchestration text follows the approach established in its innovative predecessor: Learning orchestration is best achieved through familiarity with the orchestral literature; this familiarity is most effectively accomplished from the music notation in combination with the recorded sound. The text has been revised to reflect the most informed reactions to the first and second editions, as well as Professor Adler's revisions. For comprehensiveness, conciseness, and contemporaneity, The Study of Orchestration remains without peer.

An ancillary set of six enhanced compact discs and a workbook are available separately to accompany this textbook but are not included with the textbook.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36055 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 864 pages

About the Author
Samuel Adler, Professor Emeritus at the Eastman School of Music, is currently teaching at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. He has held the title of visiting professor at many schools throughout the country and abroad, giving master classes in composition, orchestration, and conducting. Professor Adler has gained considerable recognition as a composer (his compositions have been performed by such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony), and has received numerous awards and grants. He has also been guest conductor for many prominent symphony orchestras.

Customer Reviews

Must-have to accompany the textbook.
In order to get the most benefit from Adler's text, I would urge the user to purchase the accompanying enhanced multimedia CD set. Given the magnitude of subject matter being covered, noone can reasonably expect each and every one of the hundreds of sound clips to be perfectly illustrative of what the author discusses. But I would say that most examples are quite useful. Reading through some of the text can be a little dry and overwhelming; if nothing else, listening to the music bits along the way breathes a good deal of life (and some fun) into the material.

Great resource for serious students, composers and orchestrators
This is a wonderful addition to the already comprehensive book "The Study of Orchestration". People who may have a little trouble hearing what they read on the page--as is my case--will find very clear and well-recorded examples of everything discussed in the books.

In addition to the useful audio recordings of several short score excerpts seen in the book, there are also very helpful video recordings of musicians playing various instruments using every different known technique.

For those who cannot get a hold of a live orchestra to demonstrate the limitations and qualities of each instrument, these CDs and the book they accompany are an effective substitute, and worth every penny.

focus on playing and writing techniques for each instrument
Samuel Adler's book covers all important instruments in the modern symphonic orchestra: how they look, how they are played, where they come from, how they sound, how they blend with other instruments, their practial range (both for professional and non-professional players) and the correct notation within various contexts. It also tells the orchestrator about limitations and build-in problems for each instrument and how to deal with it. This alone is worth the price tag.

This book focusses on the orchestral "tone colors" and how they are mixed. Of course the widely accepted notation is widely covered as well in many examples.

I would have loved to have an accompanying CD (which of course would be expensive to produce - but it would immensely add to the value of this work), and I also would have loved to learn more about how to build great sounding voicings and how exactly the various sections dovetail into each other (melodic and harmonic concepts and layers). From this book I know what I can do and what might sound odd. But I gained little insight on how to tackle an orchestration, how to start: the down to earth nuts and bolts.

There are some examples on how great composers broke the rules. But (as I expected) we have no clue about the ideas behind it and if it actually worked. I would love to have for once a book who doesn't make gods out of famous composers (they are, no doubt, but that's old news - true teaching should equal motivation) but let us in on their secrets, at least as much as possible. Also: we know that rules are meant to be broken, but there are even rules on how to break rules. It's just the next level. I would love to have books on that.

Otherwise: very highly recommended! Not to be left out in any orchestrator's library!