Alan Belkin's Applied Orchestration
TOR / Teaching / Recommended External Content
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.
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.