Modules | Taxonomy | Grouping Effects | Orchestration Examples

Examples of Timbral Augmentation:

Sustained

Punctuated

  • Punctuated Timbral Augmentation

 

Stable Timbral Augmentation:

Debussy, La Mer, i, mm. 122–131

From Debussy, La Mer, i, mm. 122–131, the English horn and the two solo celli are perceived as blended, but the timbres of the English horn are augmented by the timbres of the solo celli. The instrumentation remains the same therefore it is labelled as a Stable Timbre Augmentation.

Example 1. Debussy, La Mer, i, mm. 122-131

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Transforming Timbral Augmentation:

Wagner, Parsifal, “Overture,” mm. 20–25

From the Overture to Parsifal, a melodic line is orchestrated by adding and removing instruments at the unison: the English horn enters on the pickup to m. 21, and the oboe is added later in m. 21, just as the bassoon is removed. In m. 22 the bassoon reenters just after the oboes drops out. The dominant timbres of this melodic line are the timbres of the violins. At the start of the line, the timbres of the clarinet 1, bassoon 1, and cello section blend with the violin timbres—creating some so-called augmented violin timbres. With the changing orchestration of the embellishing timbres—with the addition of English horn, and addition/reduction of the oboes and bassoon—the timbral augmentation is heard as a transforming blend.

Example 3. Wagner, Parsifal, Overture, mm. 20-25

Audio Excerpts