George Frederick McKay · section 2 of 111

Preface

The orchestral sounds summoned up by the geniuses of music sometimes seem like sheer magic, but the imagination and flair of the master composer must inevitably be based upon certain principles of tonal relationship and procedure which are the same for both the student beginner and the developed artist. Clear and effective sound and structure stem from applications of unity, contrast and variety. These applications can be formulated into fundamental types of technique which can be understood and utilized by every student of music. The main purpose of this book is to formulate a general theory based on such techniques.

There have been too few theoretical speculations on orchestration by the composers of the past. Much has been written by theorists about the technicalities of instrumentation, but far too little has been said by the creative artists themselves about "how" to write for the orchestra. The pioneering effort by Berlioz, Treatise on Instrumentation, is lively and evocative and, in spite of a certain obsolescence, still has much to offer from an artist's creative insight. The modern revision by Richard Strauss has further values derived from Strauss's own experienced craftsmanship.

Rimsky-Korsakov, in his Principles of Orchestration, offered many creative suggestions, but fell short of a complete general theory. Richard Wagner began his book On Conducting with the sentence, "The secret of good orchestral sound is sustained tone." With this fragmentary statement we are left groping at unfulfilled total analysis because there are so many other sources of "good orchestral sound."

Sibelius has been quoted as saying, "The orchestra has no pedal." He meant that while improvising on the piano, use of the pedal produces a continuous resonance that can be had in

the orchestra only by adding actual supplementary sustaining material. This is also strikingly true, but again, we are left groping toward a complete system which will surround all mastery of craftsmanship with a basic explanation. It is toward such a complete, inclusive and far-reaching analysis of "how" to write "good" orchestration that this treatise is directed.

The methods of orchestration discussed in these pages, with their emphases upon central principles of effective sound and performance by small ensembles, were developed through many years of experience in orchestration.

At first, standard books were used for reference and in teaching, but these were found to have an overemphasis on factual material and a lack of workable general theory.

Later, a method was adopted which emphasized the imitation of styles used by various master composers. To learn orchestration the student was asked to analyze the scores of Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, etc., and to imitate these principal styles by writing full-score examples. This was a better method and led to much effective technic and the gradual formulation of a general theory. Eventually this method was also abandoned because, in writing for full orchestra, actual performance was too difficult to obtain; as a result, knowledge had to remain too theoretical. Furthermore, the student was usually impelled too strongly toward imitation; and his own individuality was left dormant.

Finally, through further experiments in teaching, it became clear that the best results came from a freely creative use of general theory. The most creative orchestration occurred when the student was unburdened from imitating masterworks and was allowed to develop personal expression restricted only by the most fundamental guiding principles and by the sincere artistic criticism of an interested teacher.

Of all the musical studies, orchestration can be the most adventurous. But its ultimate sense of creativity can be had only if that which is written can be tried out in actual performance.

All the formulations contained in this book can be tried out successfully on a small ensemble of the type usually available among members of an orchestration class. (See page 212 for an example of a laboratory-type ensemble used at the University of Washington.) It is not necessary to write only for the large orchestra. The basic principles of clear organization and tonal interest are essentially the same for ten instruments as for one hundred.

In forming an orchestra for which to write, it is best to have some representation of each family of sound (e.g., two woodwinds, one brass instrument, a few strings, a piano or other percussion) or some combination that will make available two or more choirs of sound (three woodwinds, four strings and piano, for instance). Any available small combination of mixed instruments will provide, for the student, much basic experience in the application of general principles. By writing for small groups, much time will be saved and the experience gained can later be applied to writing for the large orchestra.

Complete knowledge is a combination of theory with practical and artistic experience. Live performance of students' compositions is urgently necessary. In a day-by-day adventure in joint discovery the teacher can play a decisively creative role as analyst, critic and enthusiast. Now and then genius will appear in a few measures, and with it will come an exhilirating group feeling of identification with musical creativity.

This treatise, then, offers: (1) compact presentation of basic information; (2) a comprehensive general theory; (3) a teaching method strongly motivated by emphasis upon creativity; (4) a practical means for testing results by actual performance; (5) an orderly and progressive study plan; (6) analytical discussion which stresses contemporaneity and musical frontiers; (7) principles of value to listener and conductor; (8) examples transposed to actual sound for the convenience of the reader, and (9) charts citing specific pages in standard scores where further illustrations may be found (see pages 218-220).

I wish to express my appreciation to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., for permitting the use of photographs in this book. Pictures of the orchestra, under the direction of Charles Munch, appear as a frontispiece and on pages opposite each of the chapter openings.

George Frederick McKay