What are the two meanings of orchestration in music?
Q: What are the two meanings of orchestration in music?
A: Orchestration in music can mean the study of how to write music for an orchestra, as well as the list of instruments used in a particular piece of music.
Q: How can someone learn about orchestration?
A: People who want to compose music for orchestras can learn by reading books about orchestration, studying scores and listening to orchestras in concerts or on CDs. Students at music colleges may also practise orchestration by taking piano music and arranging it for orchestra.
Q: What is instrumentation?
A: Instrumentation means understanding each instrument and knowing about all the sounds they can make. It refers to any kind of musical composition with instruments, whereas “orchestration” specifically refers to writing for an orchestra from its beginnings in the 17th century up until today.
Q: What does it mean to "orchestrate" a piece of music?
A: To "orchestrate" a piece of music means understanding how to write well for different instruments, how to combine them so that they sound good together and balance well.
Q: Are there composers who leave their works' orchestration up to other people?
A: Yes, some composers leave the task of orchestrating their works up to other people - Leonard Bernstein is one example.
Q: Who are two famous composers known for their ability with writing for orchestra?
A: Hector Berlioz and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov are two famous composers known for their ability with writing for orchestra - both wrote books on orchestration which are still useful today.
