Alan Belkin's Applied Orchestration

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A series of tutorial videos on Applied Orchestration created by former Université de Montréal Professor, Alan Belkin. These videos introduce and explore orchestration from many perspectives: harmony and blended tone, effects of contrast, background textures, doubling, and more.

https://www.patreon.com/AlanBelkin


Applied Orchestration
Course Introduction

"Presenting my new Applied Orchestration course, topics we will cover.”


Applied Orchestration #1
Blended harmony part 1

“Blended harmony for each orchestral family, in soft dynamics.“

For a PDF of the examples, see: http://alanbelkinmusic.com/PDF/Orch1.pdf


Applied Orchestration #2
Blended harmony part 2

“Blended harmony for each orchestral family, in loud dynamics.”

For a PDF of the examples, see: http://alanbelkinmusic.com/PDF/Orch2.pdf


Applied Orchestration #3
Tutti harmony

“Blended tutti harmony; individual chords for combined families.”

For a PDF of the examples, see: http://alanbelkinmusic.com/PDF/Orch3.pdf


Applied Orchestration #4
Planes of Tone

“Once the student understands the technique of the various instruments in the orchestra, the single most important principle to grasp in orchestration is: Planes of Tone.”


Applied Orchestration #5
Contrast Effects

“An essential principle of orchestration, too often ignored: contrast effects.”


Applied Orchestration #6
A note about mockups/simulations

“Important things for students to know about computer orchestration performance.”


Applied Orchestration #7
Orchestrate the Dynamics!

“A deeper look at the complex relationship between dynamics and orchestration.”


Applied Orchestration #8
On Background textures, part 1

“How to enrich accompaniment textures.”


Applied Orchestration #9
On Background textures, part 2

“How to enrich accompaniment textures.”


Applied Orchestration #10
On the beginning of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony

“Orchestration Analysis of the beginning of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony”


Applied Orchestration #11
On the beginning of Tchaikovsky's Symphony #6

“A look at the orchestration of Tchaikovsky's Symphony #6”


Applied Orchestration #12
Doubling

“A close look at various kinds of doubling, and when doubling is appropriate, and when not.”


Applied Orchestration #13
Mahler"

“A look at orchestration for giant orchestras, in Mahler's Symphony #9.”


Applied Orchestration # 14
Underlining Special Moments


Applied Orchestration #15
Transcribing piano music for orchestra, part 1

Preparing to transcribe Mozart K. 309 for orchestra.


Applied Orchestration #16
Transcribing piano music for orchestra, part 2

“Here is the orchestral version of the Mozart sonata we discussed in the last lesson.”


Applied Orchestration #17
Another method for learning orchestration

“Orchestrating multiple versions of rough sketches. Here is the link for the student exercises: http://alanbelkinmusic.com/PDF/BelkinSketchExercises.pdf


Applied Orchestration #18
Orchestration with solo voices

“Lessons from Bizet's Carmen The short extracts in this lesson are from this recording: Performers: Victoria de Los Angeles, Nicolai Gedda, Janine Micheau, Ernest Blanc, Choeurs et Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, Sir Thomas Beecham (conductor) Publisher Info. Parlaphone, 1960. Public Domain”


Applied Orchestration #19
The Character Glossary

Another pedagogical idea for learning orchestration


Applied Orchestration #20
Orchestral reduction for piano part 1

How to make a reduction of an orchestral score


Applied Orchestration #21
Orchestral reduction for piano part 2

More complex reduction situations


Applied Orchestration #22
A Masterpiece of Transcription

A look at Alan Richardson's masterful transcription for solo piano of Rachmaninoff's Vocalise.

Here is the link (mentioned in the video) to the Analysis for Composers video about the Vocalise.


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Functional Orchestration

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Placement of the Orchestra