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Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 20:27:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Adam Kent-Isaac <lokibassoon@yahoo.com>
Subject: Orchestration Books
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
I read many orchestration books. I noticed that many
of the writers of these books happen to be idiots, and
make ludicrous generalizations that reveal that they
know little or nothing about the things they speak of.
HERE ARE SOME ACTUAL EXCERPTS (some were rephrased so
as to eliminate the old English they were written in)::It is not the opinions (which are not factual and have
- "The bass clarinet is incapaple of expression."
- "The bassoon's high register is hardly possible." (sic)
- "The contrabassoon is generally unsatisfactory."
- "The bassoon's tone has a tendency towards the grotesque."
- "By no means are woodwinds as expressive as the string family."
- "The Serpent's disgusting tone does not belong with our good Catholic religion"
no validity) that bothwer me so much as it is the
generalizations about all of the mentioned instruments.-Adam
=====
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---------------------------------------------------------From: "Gerald T Ortman" <gto@iquest.net>
Subject: Re: Orchestration Books
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 22:49:32 -0500
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comamen,......etc
gto o
----- Original Message -----
From: Adam Kent-Isaac <lokibassoon@yahoo.com>
To: <contrabass@contrabass.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 1999 10:27 PM
Subject: Orchestration Books
> I read many orchestration books. I noticed that many
> of the writers of these books happen to be idiots, and
> make ludicrous generalizations that reveal that they
> know little or nothing about the things they speak of.
> HERE ARE SOME ACTUAL EXCERPTS (some were rephrased so
> as to eliminate the old English they were written
> in)::
>
> "The bass clarinet is incapaple of expression."
>
> "The bassoon's high register is hardly possible."
> (sic)
>
> "The contrabassoon is generally unsatisfactory."
>
> "The bassoon's tone has a tendency towards the
> grotesque."
>
> "By no means are woodwinds as expressive as the string
> family."
>
> "The Serpent's disgusting tone does not belong with
> our good Catholic religion"
>
> It is not the opinions (which are not factual and have
> no validity) that bothwer me so much as it is the
> generalizations about all of the mentioned
> instruments.
>
> -Adam
---------------------------------------------------------From: CoolStu67@aol.com
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 00:11:49 EDT
Subject: Re: Orchestration Books
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com<<
It is not the opinions (which are not factual and have
no validity) that bothwer me so much as it is the
generalizations about all of the mentioned instruments.
>>Wrong. Everybody has an opinion, and we must respect that. If somebody
believes an instrument doesn't go with a particular lifestyle or belief, then
understand it's their point of view. And if somebody doesn't enjoy an
instrument's particular range or tonality, just take it as opinion and not
fact. Remember: fact and expression never go together.Stuart
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 13:17:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Adam Kent-Isaac <lokibassoon@yahoo.com>
Subject: Clarinet family
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comHey Grant;;
Shouln't the clarinet family be altered? I mean, the
names of the instruments are just wrong.The Soprano is okay, the alto is okay, then it gets
nasty. First of all, the bass clarinet should be
called the Tenor because it is an octave lower than
the soprano. Then, the contralto in EEB should be
called the Baritone, as it is an octave lower than the
alto. Then, the real bass would be the BBb Contrabass.
And so forth. Just compare the saxes to the clarinets.-Adam
=====
__________________________________________________
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Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 21:38:37 +0100 (BST)
From: Dafydd y garreg wen <mavnw@csv.warwick.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Orchestration Books
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comMy personal favourite is the writer who stated quite plainly "Pedal notes
are impossible on the Bass Trombone". Obviously writing for grade 2
standard players, then.Dave Taylor
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Aaron Rabushka" <arabushk@cowtown.net>
Subject: Re: Orchestration Books
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 16:41:42 -0500
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comAs with many facets of music orchestration has changed over time, and not
necessarily in a straight-line fashion. Compare some of the dicta of
limitations in Rimsky Korsakov's orchestration book which he left incomplete
at his death in 1908 (e.g., non-pitched percussion is only good for
ornamentation, the only valid use of the tuba is in doubling) with Mahler's
letter from before 1893 in regard to his 3rd symphony ("bassoon, string
bass, tuba,...even the cymbals must sing!").Note that I am not trying to disparage Korsakov. I have always found his
"Principals of Orchestration" to be invaluably helpful even if he does
express an antiquated attitude here and there.Aaron J. Rabushka
arabushk@cowtown.net
http://www.cowtown.net/users/arabushk/
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