Berlioz's Orchestration Treatise: A Translation and Commentary »

Hugh Macdonald is Avis Blewett Professor of Music at Washington University, St Louis. He has been General Editor of the New Berlioz Edition since its inception in 1967. He has edited The Selected Letters of Berlioz (1995) and Volumes IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII of the Berlioz Correspondance générale (1992- ). He is also author of Skryabin (1978) and Berlioz (1982).

Provides both a translation and detailed commentary on Berlioz's own practice as an orchestrator.

Booknews

Macdonald (music, Washington U., St. Louis) presents an English translation of Hector Berlioz's treatise on orchestration, which represents a resource for the understanding both of his music and of orchestral practice in the 19th century. The text is accompanied by Macdonald's commentary on the instruments of Berlioz's time and on what the scores reveal about his orchestral ideas. It also contains some of Berlioz's writings on instruments found in his and press articles. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

List of illustrations; Preface; A note on the edition; A note on the translation; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; The Treatise; Introduction;
1. Bowed strings;
2. Plucked strings;
3. Strings with keyboard;
4. Wind: introduction;
5. Wind with reeds;
6. Wind without reeds;
7. Wind with keyboard;
8. Brass with mouthpiece;
9. Woodwind with mouthpiece;
10. Voices;
11. Pitched percussion;
12. Unpitched percussion;
13. New instruments;
14. The orchestra;
15. The conductor and his art; Appendix: Berlioz's writing on instruments; Bibliography; General index; Index of Berlioz's works.