Project 3: Instruments of the Orchestra

Below are my reflections on a number of pieces across the orchestra, listed in my course material.  All of the pieces below have been found on Spotify.

Woodwind

Reicha – Wind Quintet No. 2 in E flat Major, Op.88

This composition uses a full ranged of pitched instruments to reflect the bright and light feel of the woodwind family.  As with many woodwind compositions, I felt that the music was ‘telling a story’, using the various instruments as characters.

Poulenc – Sextet: Allegro Vivace

The feel to this piece certainly matched its title; displaying a very different side to the woodwind family.  Whilst previously having experience with ‘brighter’ pieces, I was surprised to hear how the mix to instruments was used to create a frantic, tense and dramatic composition.  The high tones of the piccolo were used to create dissonant tones, which served to heighten the drama of the piece.

Brass

Copland – Fanfare for the Common Man

To me, the brass section carries a military feel and this piece is certainly no exception.  The families ‘ceremonious’ history blends well in this piece creating a feeling of great opulence and grandeur.  The drums used in this composition add to the feeling of a great ‘event’ unfolding and dawning of a new chapter.  

Janacek – Sinfonietta – 3. Moderato – Con moto

Much like the previous piece, the brass section was used here to change the dynamic of the piece, changing the light strings into a dramatic and tense environment.  However, unlike the previous composition, I did not feel the sense of ceremony here, just a very vivid feeling of ominous tension. 

Malcolm Arnold – Quintet for Brass No. 1, Op. 73: III. Con brio

This displayed the brass section in a whole new light, offering a more melodic and jolly sound.  The interaction between the quintets almost mimics the woodwind's ‘storytelling ability’ and throughout the composition it is clear to hear a story unfolding.    Towards the end of the piece I began to picture a horseback chase through the deserts of the American Mid-West. 

Strings

Vaughn Williams – Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

The use of very dramatic crescendos in this composition provides a great insight into the abilities of the strings family.  Throughout the piece there is a sense of tension added by extremely long note lengths, which break out into short motifs.  As the piece builds to its many crescendos, the interaction between the instruments gives a very deep emotional feeling of depression and loss.

Percussion

Steve Reich – Drumming – Parts I - IV

Throughout this suite we hear the exploration of a variety of instruments from the percussion family, displaying their characters and abilities.  Part I offers a very constant and steady pace and gives the idea of creating ‘order from chaos’, whilst Parts II and III offer a much faster paced and almost ‘magical’ feel.

Varese – Ionisation

Relying entirely on the use of percussion, this piece is an excellent example of the possibilities that this family can offer.  The range and selection of instruments offers a very modern and different sound, which could be construed as ‘experimental noise’.  However, the use of these instruments as soloists as opposed to an accompaniment offers some interesting ideas about percussion’s potential. 

Exercise: Listening to instruments in the Orchestra

Having previously completed the OCA course Music: Composition 1, I have been fortunate to have spent time researching a number of sections of the orchestra.  I therefore wanted to spend some time familiarising myself with the instruments of the String section of the orchestra.

Strings

Philharmonic Orchestra [online]. (n.d.) describes the string section as “the basis of the orchestra and the one consistent component of orchestras down the ages. The range of expression available and the great stamina of strings makes them a powerful tool.”

The instruments included in this section are the violin, viola, cello and double-bass.

Violin

Arguably the most ‘important’ part of the orchestra, the violin's smooth and flowing sound, contrasted with its shrill sharp tones, offer a great deal of versatility within the orchestra.  Below are a number of solo pieces that I have listened to which have given me a clear ideas of the violin’s potential. 

Bach – Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor (1720) recording found on Spotify

This piece really demonstrates the smooth and melodic tones of the violin reflected in a gentle and flowing motion.  Throughout the composition we hear a contrast of long notes and short bursts of energetic motifs, which make use of trills and quickly varying dynamics. 

Chalf Hassan – Solo Kamanja (Violin Solo) recording found on Spotify

This piece showed a surprising change in the feel of the violin.  Throughout this composition there is a strong Moroccan theme and the tones of the violin seem to have been composed in lower tones to echo the more traditional sounds of Moroccan music.  Much like the previous piece, the violin offers great versatility in providing both a melancholic and dramatic, frenzied sound.

Rimsky – Korsakov – Flight of the Bumblebee – Violin Solo by Isaac Stern – recording found on Spotify

An infamously difficult piece of music to play on any instrument, I found it really interesting to hear Isaac Stern’s version of Flight of the Bumblebee.  Having heard this composition on organ, piano, flute and numerous other instruments, I would have to say that I found the violin version to be what I would consider to be the closest sound the actual bumblebee.  The very quick and short note progressions hold a slight buzzing sound from the bow that only helps to echo the insect's noises and further enhance the piece. 

Viola

The viola's larger stature and deeper tones offers the sound of the violin’s ‘darker cousin’.  When describing the viola’s place within the orchestra, Dalton (2013) writes that the instrument: 

“somewhat parallels the alto voice of the normal SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) arrangement in a choir of voices, the alto being just below the soprano range.”

Below are details of a viola solo piece which I listened to in order to further develop my understanding of the instrument's sound:

Hindemith, Paul – Hindemith: Viola Sonata, Op.25, No. 1 - 2nd movement: Sehr fresch und straff: performed by Nobuko Imai – recording found on Spotify

This piece carries a very dark and dramatic feel and the lower tones of the viola portray a deep sense of melancholy and desperation throughout.  Much like the violin, the viola offers an extremely versatile sound in terms of range and dynamics and at times, the sound could be mistaken for that of the accordion. 

Cello

To me, the cello provides the next ‘step down’ in the violin family.  The larger size of this instrument provides an even deeper sound in comparison to the viola, yet offers the same range and versatility.  

Below are a number of Cello solo pieces which I have studied:

Bach Suite No. 1 in G major for Solo Cello, BMV 1007: 1, Prelude: performed by Torleif Thedeen – recording found on Spotify

This iconic composition gives the listener a deep insight into the emotion and feeling behind this piece.  The cello’s deep tones offer both a bright and dark feeling throughout, giving the piece a sense of change and development. 

Truls Mork – Suite No. 3 for Solo Cello Op. 87: III Canto: Con moto – recording found on Spotify

This piece focuses much more on the darker and deeper tones of the instrument.  At times I could also pick up on tones reminiscent of the bagpipes, which gave a different texture to the composition. 

Double-bass

As the largest and deepest member of the string family, the double bass gives a very distinct sound, yet offers a surprising range.    Below are a number of pieces I have studied:

Bjørn Ianke – Contracanthus: recording found on Spotify

I found this piece to be very helpful in developing my understanding of more modern compositions.  Throughout this piece a different side to the double bass is demonstrated and an almost ‘sawing’ sound becomes prevalent throughout.  Much like the other members of this family, I was able to compare the sound to that of another instrument, this time the low tones of the bassoon were echoed by the double-bass. 

Correction – Solo Suite-Part 1, Double Bass: recording found on Spotify

The sound in this piece was mostly achieving by ‘picking’ as opposed to ‘bowing’ and offers an almost ‘jazzy’ feel to the piece, reflecting the sound of a bassline which a larger piece.   This piece really highlights a good range on this instrument and explores the use of vibration as a feature. 

String Emsemble

Before drawing conclusions on my thoughts on the string section of the orchestra, I wanted to explore a composition which incorporates all of the members of the strings family. 

Solisti Aquilani, I – Gran duo concertante (arr. for violin, double bass and string ensemble) recording found on Spotify

This composition offers a fantastic opportunity to hear all of the members of the string family together.   As a whole, each instruments holds its place to create a deep and textured piece throughout.  This piece in particular focuses on the dramatic tendency of the strings, but also offers ’softness’ to each instrument. 

In conclusion, I feel that together the string family create a sound capable of an extremely wide range, displaying numerous emotions and feelings.  When played gently and softly, each of the stringed instruments offer a flowing and calm sound; but when interspersed with dramatic bowing and picking, the instruments offer something else entirely. 

Whilst listening to the above pieces and researching the string section, I noticed a number of similarities to the woodwind family.  As mentioned in my above research, the sound of the bagpipes and oboe were very prevalent in the lower instruments, whilst the ‘screeching’ tones of the violin could be echoed using higher pitched woodwinds such as the descant recorder or piccolo.  However, the drama, tension and melancholic feelings that the strings are capable of seemed to be matched by no other family.