Berlioz's Orchestration Treatise: A Translation and Commentary(Cambridge Musical Texts and Monographs)

Berlioz's Orchestration Treatise is a classic textbook which has been used as a guide to orchestration and as a source book for the understanding both of Berlioz's music and of orchestral practice in the nineteenth century. This was the first English translation of Berlioz's complete text since 1856, and it is accompanied throughout by Hugh Macdonald's extensive and authoritative commentary on the instruments of Berlioz's time and on his own orchestral practice, as revealed in his scores. It also includes extracts from Berlioz's writings on instruments in his Memoirs and in his many articles for the Parisian press. The Treatise has been highly valued both for its technical information about instruments but also for its poetic and visionary approach to the art of instrumentation. Berlioz was not only one of the great orchestrators of the nineteenth century, he was also the author with the clearest understanding of the art.

Table of Contents:
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.

About the Author :
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).

Review :
"When I received the book, I confidently expected a good modern translation of this seminal work on orchestration and an informative commentary. My expectations were exceeded in both respects. A better translation and commentary than the present one can scarcely be imagined. Indeed, as far as commentary is concerned, this book is an essential reference tool for scholars of every nationality and for all performers of Berlioz's music." Journal of Musicological Research