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ORCHESTRATION
Y Walter iston
PROFESSOR 01 :
\1USIC EMERITUS
HARVARD
Ur-;IVERSlry
:A ...w ork
W W NORTON CO.MPANY
INC
ublishers
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CHAPTER
E I GH TEEN
KEY
BOA
R D I S T R U
\
E N T S
THE
PIAXO
Fr., piano; It., pianoforte; Ger., Klavier
I
T IS assumed that the reader
is
familiar with the pianoforte and its
technique. \Ve are concerned here not so much with the capacities
of the piano
as
a solo instrument,
as
with its use
as
an orchestral in
strument, occupying a status comparable, for instance, to that of the
harp
or
the flute.
There
are five aspects to be distinguished in the association of the
piano
with
the orchestra:
a) The early practice of employing a pianist
to
play along with
the orchestra
to
give support in weak places, and to help the group
keep time and rhythm.
This
is
substantially the same role that was
played throughout the eighteenth century
by
the maestro at the
harpsichord, who executed the realization of the figured bass on his
instrument and
kept
the ensemble together, but no special part was
written for the player,
who
read from the score. As the art of con
ducting developed, this usage died
out
in the early nineteenth century.
b)
The piano concerto, in which the orchestra plays the accompani
ment, and
is
subordinate througho ut to the solo piano part. Characteris
tic examples are the piano concertos of Mozart and Beethoven.
Today
a
work
of this type
is
the occasion for engaging an outstanding virtuoso
pianist,
not
a member of the orchestra, to play the solo part.
The
piano
is
placed at the front of the stage.
c)
The composition for Piano and Orchestra, in which the solo
piano retains its position
of
prominence while at the same time the
34D
KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS
34
orchestra
is
raised to a position of equality.
This
is
a flexible category,
some features of which can be noted in the solo concertos of the pr eced
ing paragraph (the slow movement of Beethoven's
Fourth
Concerto).
The solo part still
is
played
by
a visiting artist, but part of the time the
piano is used as an orchestral instrument
(D Indy-Symphony
on a
French Mountain Air).
For
this reason, conductors sometimes prefer
to place the piano with in the orchestra rather than in front of it (Falla
-Nights in the Gardens
of
Spain .
d) The piano
as
an orchestral instrument. This situation did not
come
to
pass until the t wentieth century. The pianist
is
here compara
tively anonymous and
is
a regular member of the orchestra Copland
Appalachian Spring .
e) The piano in the small orchestra.
This is
a further development
of orchestral composition in the twentieth century (Stravinsky-Suite
for Small Orchestra .
ORCHESTRAL USES
The
chief
use
of the piano
as
an orchestral instrument
is
one of
doubling. By this means an incisi\'eness, due
to
the percussive quality
of the piano,
is
imparted to any instrument or group-strings, wood
wind, brass, or percussion, in all registers. The high register of the
piano
s
especially effective in contributing brilliance
to
the upper
woodwind. In the following example, two piccolos go along with the
piano up to its very highest note. The left-hand part doubles three
oboes and the second violins, while the octave in between
is
played by
the first violins and the xylophone.
EX. 36 I Copland-Symphony
110.
3
p. 45, ed. Boosey Hawkes
>
>
Copyright 947 by Hawk.s
Son
London) Ltd.
l:sed by
permission.
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342
I N S T R U M N T S
In
the next
example, the right-hand notes act
as strong
upper partials
to the left-hand
part,
which doubles two oboes and a trumpet. A bas
soon plays in
the
octave below.
There
are
other
parts in the score.
EX.
362. Martinu SymphollY no. 4
p. 97, ed. Boosey
Hawkes
Copyright
1950
by
Hawkes
Son
London) Ltd.
Used by penn
ss ion.
The piano is at a disadvantage associating
with other
instruments in
parts of a sostenuto and legato character.
Better
results are obtained
if
the
piano
part is kept
in
motion,
in notes
of
not
too
long
duration.
Doubling of
pizzicato
is of
course
very much
in its style.
Here
it
must
be remarked
that
low-pitched staccato on the piano,
when
loud, often
sounds upper partials
with
undue prominence,
creating
a metallic
tone
and
disguising the pitch. This depends upon the
instrument,
and
it is
more
likely to
occur
if a small piano
is
used.
EX.
363. Shostakovich SY111phony no. 5
J=9
2
. .
p. 12, ed. Musicus
Copyright
1945
y
Leeds :11usic Corporation, New
York.
Csed
by
permission.
Among
the
numerous
possibilities
for
the
combination of
the piano
with other
instruments, the
following is
particularly felicitous,
with
violins playing
collegno.
KEY BOA
R D r N S T R U 1\1 E ?\ T S
Hi
EX.
36+ Copland SY11lp/.10/ly 110 I
p.
8,
cd. Cos Cot,
) Mo to allegro
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PcolleJ1;1lo
Cup:- light 1931
uy
Cos Cob rrcss,
Inc.
C::.cd by
vermbsion
of
Arrow
.Press,
Inc.,
incorporating
the
eu::; Cob Press.
SOLO PASSAGES
The
piano delivers imitative
thematic
figures alone, just
as
any other
instrument. It
is
also given important solo parts, sometimes
demanding
a high degree
of
virtuosity, although
no more than that
expected
of
other
players in the
modern symphony
orchestra.
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344
INSTRUMENTS
EX.
365. Stravinsky-Phroucbka
p.
64,
ed. Russe
Allegro
7-----
f}
-t.
~
U
lJ
1
iJ
-
f
i
~ t J .1t-
J
J
J
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r
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fit-
fit ----. fit I :
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,.,
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It.>
U.
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etc.
J
-.:
11.
l:i..
V
Copyright by Edition Russe de Musiquc. Revised version copyright
1948
by Boosey & Hawkes. 1.:sed
by
permission
KEYBOARD
INSTRUMENTS
345
In
the following, the piano carries the thematic material, over a back
ground of
repeated sixteenth notes
by
three horns. Strings mark cer
tain of the melodic notes lightly.
EX.
366.
Stravinsky-Symphony
n Three Movements
p.
27,
ed. Associated Music Publishers
m l ~
~
~ ~
oco marcato
_ _ _ _ :
Copyright
1946
by
Associated
:: lusic Publishers, Inc
::Sew
York.
Used by
permission.
P E R U S S I O ~
Dissonant chords in the
low
register
of
the piano are used in percus
sive
rhythmic
effects.
EX.
367.
Bartok Dance
Suite p.
3
ed. Philharmonia
Copydght
1924
by 1.:ni\'ersal Edition. Copyright assigned 1939 to Boosey &
Hawkes
Ltd. Used by
I J t f l l l l l o n .
The
piano tremolo is combined
with
rolls on bass drum and timpani.
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5/20/2018 Orquestration Walter Piston
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H i
J S T R C
\1
E T S
EX.
368.
Prokofieff-Symphony no. 5
p. 39, ed. Leeds
Andante
ifI_
.l.
J.
TIMP.
f-:>-
B.D.
t ~ ~
r _
t
f
i f
"
f [
[::::
l
b
[
-
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11 i i
11
ti ...a.
_ _ _
Copyright 1946 by Leeds :Music Corporation, ::\c\V York. Csed by permission.
PL\XO AXD HARP
Some
twentieth-century
composers have
shown
a
preference for
the
piano
to
be used in place
of
the harp, feeling perhaps
that
the latter
instrument
conveyed a certain romantic association
they
wished
to
avoid.
Others
have
combined
piano and harp, and some ha\ e used a
larger
grouping of
piano, harps, and celesta,
playing
harplike arpeggios,
broken
chords, and figuration (D Indy-SlI711711er
Day
Oll the
MoltlZ-
" . .
fain
Stravinsky-UOiseau de Fell .
In
the next example, a deep bell
sound is
created by
the unison
of two
harps and
the
piano, \yith double
bass pizzica to
and
timpani. The latter are
omitted
from the
example,
as
well
as
the held octave D
for
two bassoons, contrabassoon, bass trom
bone, tuba, and a bass
drum
roll.
EX.
369.
Britten Sinfonia da
Requiem
p
I ed. Boosey & Hawkes
Andante ben m.isuraro
2 HARPS1
ND
PIANO
-
urns.
.IY
dim.
I
j
1
> > ::::- ::::-
Copyright 19 Q by Hawkes & Son (London) Ltd. Csed by
permission.
Unusual uses
of
the piano are the part
for
piano
four
hands in
De
bussy s Prime1l1ps; the employment
of two
pianos in Strayinsky s
SY717
KEY BOA
R D IN S T R U
\
E N T S 347
phony of Psal71ls; the extraordinary
orchestra
of
Stravinsky s Les
N oces, composed
of four
pianos
and
percussion;
and
the use
of an
up
right piano,
not
necessarily
in
tune,
for
local color in Copland s
Billy
tl 1e
Kid.
In
the small orchestra,
or
chamber orchestra, for
which
many works
ha\ e been
written in
the
twentieth century, the
piano performs a
\ ariety
of
serYices.
It
compensates
for
the absence
of
instruments like
the
harp
and percussion, and fills
in
middle parts in place
of
horns.
Sonorous writing like the following example gives, within the perspec
ti\ e
of the
small orchestra, an impression
of
orchestral
tutti.
EX.
370.
Copland-Music
for
the Theater
p. 37, ed. Cos
Cob
by Cos Cob
Pre , Inc. Csed
by
penni iol1 of
Arrow
1're,s, Inc.,
incorporating
the
Scoring for the
piano creates some practical difficulties
that
should
be at least
recognized
by
the
composer. The piano
tone ought to
be
that of
a
9-foot
concert grand
piano, if
it is
to
sound
well in a full
sym
phony
orchestra. On a stage
of
insufficient size a smaller instrument
may
ha\ e
to
be used.
Furthermore, to
a\ oid
much rearrangement dur
ing a concert the piano may be
placed
far to the side of the stage, es
pecially if its part seems to the conductor a subordinate one. This will
proye
most unsatisfactory
when the
piano
is combined with wood-
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34H
INS T R U \ E N T S
winds, because of the distance.
The
correct position of the piano
is
in
the
center
of
the
stage.
THE CELESTA
The
celesta may be considered a kind of
keyed
glod:enspiel, in
that
its
tone
is produced
by hammers striking steel slabs. The instrument
has a piano keyboard, and
it
resembles in appearance some modern
types of miniature
upright
piano. Each steel bar rests upon a tuned res
(mating
wooden
box, this feature giying the celesta a softness and
delicacy
that
distinguish
it from
the glockenspiel.
There is
also a
damper pedal.
The
written
range
of
the celesta is
as
follows,
sounding
an octave
higher:
Fig.
109
The
gentle
tones of the celesta haye a bell-like
ring
but do not last
long,
nor can they
be played staccato. Easily
covered
by other sounds
in the orchestra,
they
are used primarily
for
decorative coloristic
touches in soft nuances. In the following familiar motiYe, the celesta
chords are doubled by harp, two flutes and piccolo, and three solo vio
lins,
muted.
EX.
371.
Strauss-Der
Rosenka'l.. alier
p. 190, cd. Boosey
Hawkes
Copyright 1910 by Adolf Furstner. assigned 1943 to Boose;; I-bwkes. Ltd. ('sed by permission. (For
Portugal, Italy, Germany, Danzig, l ' ~ S R as of
1935:
F u r ~ t n e r .
Ltd
London.)
KEYBOARD
INSTRUMENTS
349
he next example shows a simple but striking use of the celesta t
mark
the final
cadence of
a
symphonic
movement.
EX.
372.
Shostakovich-Symphony
no. 5
p. 51, ed. Musicus
Moderato J , 42
tJ f / ~ S
2 TRP.
t . J ~
~ C J
~ ' -
pp
T, '
~
morendo
pp
.
;
...
CELESTA
)
_ f l _ . ~ j I R . ~
j I R ~ ~
t.J P
SOLO
:
morendo
- ~
N. strings muted
-
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l I I I
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f N ; P ~
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.
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VA.
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HP
. morendo =:
DB
-----r
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('opyright 1 9 ~ 5 \ \ ~
Leeds
':'Iusic L(jrporatiul1. ::\ew York..
'[sed
by
p e l n l i ~ i o n .
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72
The arp
and Keyboard
Instruments
Glisses over either the white
or
the black keys can be made by one hand, or
by
the
two
hands moving in
parallel or contrary motion (see
Example
7-60).
The hand,
the
fist,
or
the forearm
can be used
for clusters of notes, as shown
in
Example 6-23. If
only
white
or only
black
notes
are wanted,
this should
be
indi
cated separately.
Harmonics can be produced by silently
depressing
the keys of one
or more
notes in
the
harmonic series of a lower note, then playing
the
lower
note
sharply
and briefly (see
Example
6-24). The harmonics will resonate softly-so softly that
they
may not
be heard in a large room, and certainly
not
if
other
sound s present.
Example 6-23
\
> >
Example
6-24
\
~ ' '"
The
Use
of
the
Piano
The piano was very rarely
used
as a member of the
orchestra
in the nineteenth
century,
but
in
recent
decades
it has
become
almost
commonplace
in orchestral
scores. Like the harp,
it s
used
both to reinforce or accompany other
instruments
and
as a
soloist
(Stravinsky's Petroushka; Shostakovich s First Symphony, last move
ment). The percussive low register is
used
very effectively in the first
movement
of
Shostakovich s Fifth Symphony
and
in Copland s Appalachian ~ p r i n g In
Example
7-60, the
piano
is
used to
reinforce the glisses
of
the violins. Some works, like
Stravinsky's Symphony
o
Pmlms
use more
than one piano.
The Toy Piano
The
toy
piano
can
be
a
surprisingly
effective
instrument. The cheaper versions
may have only the
eight
notes of the
completed
C major scale, whereas others may
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he ~ t u d y
of
rchestration
Samuel dler
Eastman School of Music
w
W
Norton and ompany
ew
York London
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364
The
Study
of
Orchestra iC .
The
Piano
the
piano
as an
orchestral
instrument that it
was
a
Frenc?
innova
tion,
since it
is
in the
scores of D Indy, Debussy,
and
Stravmsky
that
it
first appears. . d th
In
relationship to the orchestra, the
piano may
be Vlewe m e
following
capacities:
1
as
the
solo
instrument in
a
piano
concerto;
2.
as
the executant
of
an
obligato
in
orchestral works,
such
as.
Bloch's
Concerto Grosso No.1 D Iridy s
Symphony o ~
a
F r e n ~ h
Mountain
Air, De
Falla's
Nights in
the Gardens of
Spam,
Sn:
avm
-
sky's
Petrushka, and others
(Saint-Saens s
Carnival of the Ammals
uses two pianos obligato. ; . s
3. as a
purely orchestral instrument,
m
such works
as
e b u s ~
Printemps
Martin's
Symphony No.4
Shostakovich s
Symphony
o.
, k
fi S h y
No 5
Ses-
1
Copland's Symphony No.3 Pro
0
ev s ymp
on
. ,
sions's Symphony No.2
Colgrass s
As Quiet
As,
and many
others.
The piano
is usually
used
to
double
a passage or
emphasize
a s e ~ c ~
chord
or note,
with
its
extreme
registers
employed more o f t e ~ tn:d
those at the middle of the instrument.
Occasional
s ~ l o s are a s s \ ~ G e d
to the piano
for contrast,
and
since
the
instrument IS usually p
0
not
somewhere in back
of
the
orchestra,
these
featured
passages
d
ry
convey the
impression of a solo
in
a
particular
work. Conte.mpor.a a
composers
often
use it
as a percussion
instrument. The
~ l a n o h 1 5 n e
substitute
for or a
contrast
to
the xylophone,
marimba,. or
l b r a ~ b ~ 5 5
and
at the bottom
of
its
range
can also reinforce the ~ l m p a m 0
drum. Combination doublings with
strings, woodwmds, and bra
eyboard
nstruments
365
are
of course
also successful.
There
are
instances where the piano
is
used instead
of a harp, playing arpeggios
in
fortissimo passages
where
the
latter
would
be
completely
obliterated.
In this connection one
should remark
that,
of
necessity,
many nonprofessional and school
orchestras
use a
piano
to minimize
the holes
that exist
in the
orga
nization,
since there
may be no oboe, bassoon, or viola.
This
is some
thing that is purely pragmatic
and
will be discussed
in
a
much later
chapter.
Una corda
Pedal
The Three Piano Pedals
t
Sostenuto
Pedal
Damper
(Sustaining)
Pedal
The
most frequently
used of the
three
is
the
damper pedal
which
lifts all
the dampers
and
permits the strings
to vibrate
even
after
the
key
has been
released.
The una corde pedal
is
the next most impor
tant.
na corde
means
one
string,
and describes
the
action
of this
pedal on
a
grand piano: when depressed,
it
moves the hammers into
a
position
where they
can
strike only
one
or
in
some cases two of
the
three strings of one
pitch. On
an upright piano, this
pedal moves
the
hammers
closer to
the
string. Both
actions
are
designed
to soften
the
tone of the instrument. The center pedal is the most problematical
It
is
correctly
called the sostenuto pedal
and
sustains only those
pitches
that
are
depressed
at
the same time the pedal
is
put into
action.
It
is
most useful
for
pedal points,
for
one can depress
a
pitch
and at the
same time
the sostenuto pedal, thereby sustaining tha
pitch
only,
while
playing other passages
over it.
Other pedals may
be used at will without affecting
the
pedal-point note. Unfortu
nately, many European pianos
and
a great majority of uprights do
not have this pedal,
so
it
is a
risk
to
write
for it. Nevertheless, orches
tral pianos are usually nine-foot grands
and would most
certainly
have
all
three pedals.
Often, because of the rather
novel
nature of the middle pedal
and
its
infrequent
use,
the right
pedal has been
called
sostenuto;
how
ever, that is not correct; the
names given
above are
the ones
to be
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366
he
Study
of Orchestration
used.
However,
in English,
if
one
refers
to the sustaining pedal,
one
usually
means the right or
damper
pedal, simply
describing
its
action. This term is acceptable.
The
contemporary composer
often
extends the
techniques
of
the
piano
such
as:
1. Prepared piano is indicated,
meaning that
the strings are pre
pared with various
objects
either on top
of
them
or stuck between
them.
2.
The piano strings are struck with various beaters or brushes to
sound
like mallet percussion or
dulcimers.
3 The
piano
strings
are
plucked either
seeco or
let
vibrate.
4.
Roaring bass
tremolos, which
simulate a whole
battery
of bass
drums,
can
be performed by depressing
the
sustaining pedal and
playing
a
tremolo with both hands on the lowest
strings.
5. Some
composers (Le., Bernstein
in
The ge of Anxiety, Copland
in
Billy
the Kid) ask for
upright
pianos to suggest the local color
of
the
barroom or
music
hall.
6.
Toy pianos
have been
employed for special effects.
Before illustrating some
successful
uses of the piano in its various
functions
as
an orchestral instrument, it
is
important to
call attention
to
some
extraordinary
works
where multiple pianos
and percussion
take
the
place of an entire orchestra. Two of the most important of
these
are
Stravinksy's
Les Noees
and Orff's atulli
earmina.
rchestral
Uses of the Piano
Piano
as a
doubling instrument:
Example
XIII-2. Stravinsky,
Petrushka,
Danse russe,
mm.1-9
Keyboard nstruments
Example
XIII-3.
Shostakovich, Symphony
NO.1,
second
movement, mm.
113-18
3
See also
Copland Symph
N 3 d
'
any
o
,secon movement, mm. 115-20
Incidental
solos:
Example XIII-4. Stravinsky, Petrushka, second tableau, mm.
19-32
~ ~ AlI. O I 7
i
-
~
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368
The
Study of
Orchestration
See also Berg, ulu
Suite Ostinato,
mm. 37-45.
As an
accompanying instrument:
Example
XIII-5.
Bernstein, On
the
Town,
Times Square,
mm. 1-5
Fl.
CI.
Cl.
Bo
B. GI.
1
Tpts.
Trbs.
1
Sn.Dr
Pere ,
B.I>
, , 0 .
2
3
-[
Cb.
llevroeJ :.
.... JJn.llo N
r ~ 1 k
...
Bf ..
J
j
P
J
P
...
I
AllreQro 88
PO'"
P
Traps.one player
P
.......--=
-.:.;..
~
.J< .
\ o ~
.
O t
-
~
I J J
J
J
I.J
J J
J I J
J
J J
I
J J J J .L
I
I
j
,.
Keyboard Instruments
See also: Stravinsky, Petru shka,
second
tableau, mm.
62-67
Stravinsky, Oedipus Rex, C :QJ, mm.
1-11
CELEST
Celesta Fr.)
Example
XIII-6.
Range (sounds one octave
higher than
written)
Sua l
36
The celesta is a steel-bar piano, looking l ike a miniature version o
that instrument and sounding very much like a glockenspiel. Th
mechanism
of
the
celesta works in
the
following manner: felt ham
mers strike steel bars, which lie across a small wooden resonato
box.
The tone
is soft
and
delicate,
and even
though it has quite a bi
of
penetrating power
because of its
high
frequencies, it is by
no
means as piercing as the glockenspiel. The instrument has a dampe
pedal, and the notes do not sustain too long; but since they are pro
duced
by
striking
metal bars over a resonator,
there
is no true
shor
staccato. Melodic lines, chords,
and
arpeggios are all most effective
on the celesta, which is usually played by the pianist of the orchestr
or a percussionist who happens to
play
the piano. Besides solo
celesta passages, some of the most exciting pages of music for thi
instrument occur
when it doubles
the
strings,
the
harp,
the
piano
soft woodwinds, and gives a silver lining to the overall sound
The celesta is probably used more frequently
in
the orchestra than
any other
keyboard
instrument.
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THE PI NO S ORCHESTRAL MEMBER:
V RIOUS
APPROACHES IN
NON CONCERTO COMPOSITIONS
y
EUN
HUR
Submitted
to the
graduate
faculty
of the
School
of
Music
in
partial
fulfillment
of the
requirements
for
the
degree
Doctor
of Music
Indiana
University
October 1994
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5
hapter
I
Introduction
istorical overview
Music
history
has reacted
to
many
factors:
the
political
and
national
histories of
Europe,
commercial
conditions
such as music printing, the
publishing trade,
the
enterprise of concert-giving
institutions,
the
taste and
tendencies of society and
the
public
in
various
countries,
patronage of the
musical
art and the various
systems
of
music
education that have been
in
vogue. Progress
in
the art
and
technique
of
musical composition brings
about
development
in the
history of music.
Various
factors interact with each
other, making for
progress
in the field of music. The same tendencies
can be
applied to
the
area of orchestration as well.
In the beginning stage of orchestral development, the
harpsichord,
piano or other
keyboard
instuments in general were used in the orchestra to
supply harmony, and played from the figured-bass. This feature which has
been called the basso-continuo tradition, was characteristic of orchestral
writing from the earliest attempts until the coming of
Haydn and
Mozart s
classical orchestra.
At
that
time the basso-continuo tradition had died
out
and the
string
part
assumed the responsibility of supplying the main harmony.
On
top of
that,
the
development of
various
musical forms and improvements in
the
piano as an instrument enabled the piano to take a
prominent
solo function
throughout the
Romantic
period.
The
concept
of
the piano
concerto also
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intensified with the
rise of
the virtuoso, who responded
to huge
audiences
and
large concert
halls; and
the
solo concerto is naturally
suited
to those
needs. Many
Romantic
composers thus
produced
piano
concertos in the
nineteenth
century.
At the turn of
the
century,
Western
Music
had reached an
unprecedented degree of harmonic complexity and technical development,
particularly with respect to orchestration. Composers were
becoming
more
and
more
skillful
in mastering
and
experimenting
with
new
and
unusual
combinations
of instruments, and
with
sounds and techniques not
previously
associated with
traditional instruments.
Instruments
not
commonly
associated with
the
orchestra like the keyboad group which are the piano, the
celesta
1
, the organ
2
, and the harpsichord
3
were used for their regular and
IThe
celesta
may
be
considered
a
kind
of
keyed
glockenspiel,
in that
its
tone is
produced
by hammers striking steel slabs. Each steel bar rested upon a
tuned resonating wooden
box,
this feature giving the
celesta a
softness and
delicacy that distinguish it from the glockenspiel.
It was
not
until
the late
nineteenth
century that organ parts
appeared
in
symphonic
scores
Saint-Saens,
Symphony No.3). The organ
has been
associated with the orchestra for certasin special purposes. Works for
chorus
and
orchestra
frequently include the organ Honneger,
Le Roi David).
The
organ
also has
been
employed
in
symphonic works of the grandioso type
Mahler,
Symphony
No.8).
3 Modern composers have shown interst
in
this
baroque
instrument
and
have
written for
it in combination
with
the small orchestra. The
followings
are some modern works employing the harpsichord; Falla, El
Retablo de Maese Pedro, Martin, Petite Symphonic Concertante, Strauss,
Dance
Suite after
Couperin.
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non-traditional
sounds.
Among
these
instruments,
the plano which' had
been treated
as a
prominent
solo
instrument
was employed as
an orchestral
instrument by many
composers.
The
first composer to
treat the
piano as an
orchestral instrument
was
Hector
Berlioz, in
the
first half of the 19th century.
He wrote
for
two pianos
in his Lelio Symphony. Berlioz
has long
been recognized for his exceptional
orchestral
skills,
and this quality
is illustrated
in La
Tempete, with its
innovative use of the
piano
as
an
orchestral instrument. He
was one
of
the
first to comment on the
dual
nature of the piano.
The pi noforte at the point of perfection to which our skillful
manufacturers have brought it now-a days may
be
considered
in
a
double point of view: as
an orchestral instrument,
or as forming a
complete
small orchestra in
itself.
On
only one
occasion
has
it
been
deemed well to employ the pianoforte in the orchestra under the same
class as other instruments;
that
is to say, letting it bring to the aggregate
its own
peculiar
resources,
which nothing can
replace (Berlioz,
Treatise,
p.73)4.
But
Berlioz s
innovative and progressive ideas in the area
of
orchestral
effect
exerted
little influence
on
the
art
of
that era
due to
his sporadic
success.
4David A. Day, A Historical and Critical Study of Hector Berlioz s Lelio
ou e
retour a
la
vie,
M.M.
dissertation, Brigham Young University,
Dec.
1981, p.8S.
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common within orchestral composition excluding solo concertos. Affected
by
Paganini who
carried
the Romantic concept of
virtuosity
to new heights
Liszt composed Totentanz a
symphonic poem
for piano
and
orchestra.
In
a
parallel conservative
movement Brahms wrote
his
first piano
concerto
which
was originally conceived as a
type
of
symphony
At the
end
of the
Romantic era the size
of the
orchestra
was
expanded
and new treatment of
rarely
used instruments like
the
keyboard group
was
invigorated.
Among
the
keyboard
instrumental group
the piano
is
very
suitable for the
purpose
of adding color to an
orchestra
rendering many
special effects to
orchestral
compositions.
Many
pieces were composed from
1890 to 1950 employing
the piano as
a
major
instrument but still as
an
orchestral member.
Ultimately
the piano became a common orchestral
instrument
during
the early
twentieth
century.
The following five categories of
piano within
orchestral compositions
can be proposed:
1) The eighteenth century continuo practice of incorporating a
keyboard to play along with the orchestra to
provide
support for
compositions.
This practice died
out
in
the nineteenth century but
witnessed a vigorous revival in the neo-classical movement starting in
the early
twentieth century
and continuing
up
to the current day in the
works of conservative
composers.
2)
The rise of the piano concerto from the eighteenth century to the
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present. Beginning
with
Mozart and following
through Beethoven
and all of
the
major Romantic
composers, the piano
became an
outstanding
vehicle for virtuosic display and musical
presentation.
3)
Compositions for piano and orchestra
or
almost-concerto where
the
solo
piano
retains
a
prominent position while the orchestra
is
trea
ted
as an
equal
partner.
4) n
the
twentieth
century,
the plano as a regular orchestral
instrument
became
a
common
choice for
composers
of large
orchestral
works like symphonies
and
tone poems.
5)
The
piano
in the small chamber-like
orchestra became popular
throughout the twentieth century.
I will
discuss the
third, fourth, and fifth categories above
in
relation to
the piano
as
orchestral member.
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imitations
There are
many
orchestral pieces
such
as
symphonies and
tone poems
that
are not clearly solo
piano
concertos,
but
which
have
major
piano
parts. I
have searched, discussed, and
listened
to
these
types of
compositions,
and
narrowed them
down
to four categories
where
the piano
plays
a
part
within
orchestral pieces.
1) The piano in
Symphonies,
such as Leonard
Bernstein s
Symphony
No.3
Kaddish
Charles
Ives
Symphony
No.4
Aaron Copland s
Symphony No.3 Sergei Prokofiev s Symphony No.5
Edward
Elgar s
Symphony No.3 Igor Stravinsky s Symphony of Psalms and
Bohuslav
Martinu s Symphony No.4 where
the
piano takes a part as one
of the
orchestral instuments. In the
twentieth
century, the piano is a
common orchestral instrument and
also its
use
varies
within
symphonic
works.
(2)
The
piano in symphonic poems or
tone
poems, such as
Vincent
d Indy s Symphony o a French Mountain Song Cesar
Franck s
Les
Djiins Alexander Scriabin s Prometheus
and
Ottorini
Respighi s
Pini
di Roma
where
the piano is used as a vehicle for special effects to give
more vivid messages
and
for a wide variety of expression.
3) Works for piano
and
orchestra,
such
as Manual
de
Falla s
Nights z
the Gardens
of
Spain
Igor
Stravinsky s Capriccio Gabriel
Faure s
Ballade Karol Szymanowski s
Symphonie
Concertante
George
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Gershwin s
Rhapsody in Blue
Alfredo Casella s
Partita for Piano and
Orchestra Riccardo Pick-Mangiacalli s Sortilegi
and
William Walton s
Sinfonia Concertante for Orchestra with Piano.
In those works, the
piano is
more absorbed
in the orchestra, as
opposed
to
being the
soloist
in a concerto,
and
the orchestra
has equal importance with
the piano.
4) The
piano
in a small orchestra, such as Bella Bartok s Dance Suite
Darius
Milhaud s La Creation du Monde
Alban Berg s
Lulu Suite
Aaron
Copland s
Music for
the
Theatre
Olivier
Messiaen s
Sept Haikai
and Steve Reich s Variations for Winds Strings and Keyboard.
With
the trend
in
the twentieth century toward a wide choice
in
orchestration, the
piano in a
small
group more closely interacts with
other instruments as in an ensemble.
5)
The piano
in orchestral pieces like Igor
Stravinsky s
Petrushka
and
Firebird Constant Lambert s Rio Grande and Aaron Copland s
Apalachian Spring. The piano has
been
effectively
and idiomatically
used
to
make
a special
addition
to these orchestral pieces.
Based
on my musical
score search, this
document
presents
six selected
representative works
by
recognized
composers reflecting
a variety
of
nationalities and compositional approaches.
These are:
Alexander
Scriabin,
Prometheus (1908-1910), a
symphonic
tone
poem employing
a
piano part;
Igor
Stravinsky, Petrushka (1910-1911),
an orchestral piece where the piano
takes part; Charles
Ives, Symphony no 4 (1909-1919),
which
is an
example
of
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use of the
plano within
the symphony; Darius Milhaud,
a reation du
Monde 1922), a
piece
for
small orcheatra having
a
piano
as
an ensemble
member; Karol Szymanowski,
Symphonie oncertante 1932),
an almost-
concerto where the
orchestra and
piano
are treated
equally;
and
Olivier
Messiaen,
Turangalila Symphony 1946-1948), a
mixture
of all of
the
above
categories.
The
six works
are
arranged in
Chapter
II.
by their compositional
years which helps
to
trace the historical
trend of
piano use in orchestral
works.
First, I analyze
the actual
compositions in
general, pointing
out the
overall
form, style, and charateristics,
including
a brief
description
of musical
materials
and
parameters.
After this, I
determine the
specific role of the
piano
within the orchestra. How was
the
piano used?
Does the
piano play
throughout?
Is
the
piano merely
a
doubling instrument?
Is
the
piano
a
soloistic
instrument?
Does it have an alternate function? How does
the
compositional writing affect the expansion of
the
piano's possibilities as an
orchestral instrument. With these historical and stylistic analyses,
conclusions is made about
the
how the piano's function has been expanded
beyond
its
former limitations through
the
evolution
of
musical composition.