Shorthand for orchestra instrumentation
The shorthand for the instrumentation of a symphony orchestra (and other similar ensembles) is used to outline which and how many instruments, especially wind instruments, are called for in a given piece of music. The shorthand is ordered in the same fashion as the parts of the individual instruments in the score (when read from top to bottom).
General approach[]
The orchestra is divided into four groups and specified as follows:[1]
- Woodwind instruments: flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones (if one or more are needed), bassoons
- Brass instruments: horns, trumpets, trombones, tubas
- Percussion, timpani, harp, piano, etc.
- String instruments: violins, violas, cellos, basses, frequently abbreviated to 'str', 'strs' or similar.
If any soloists or a choir are called for, their parts are usually printed between the percussion/keyboards and the strings in the score. In shorthand however, they are usually omitted.[citation needed]
Degree of standardisation[]
The basic order of the instruments, as seen above, is common to all of the shorthand systems. However, there is no standardized version of this shorthand; different publishers and librarians use different systems, especially for doubling/alternate/additional instruments. David Daniels, in earlier versions of his influential work that collects in print a catalog of the instrumentations of some 4,000+ pieces,[2] made use of a shorthand for doubling/alternate/additional instruments which was less clear, but in the newer online version[3] Daniels' approach has been refined to something more explicit, akin to the Chester Novello and Boosey & Hawkes notations below.
Examples for different notations (the instrumentation of John Adams' Harmonielehre is used here as an example):
Written out in full:[4] | 4 flutes (2,3,&4=piccolos), 3 oboes (3=English horn), 3 clarinets (3=bass clarinet 2), bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, percussion (4 players), 2 harps, piano, celesta, strings |
Chester Novello:[5] | 4(3pic)3(1ca)3(1bcl)+bcl3+cbn / 4432 / timp.4perc / 2hp.pf.cel / str |
Boosey & Hawkes:[6] | 4(II,III,IV=picc).2(III=corA).3(III=bcl).bcl.3.dbn - 4.4.3.2 - timp.perc(4):2marimbas/vib/xyl/t.bells/crot/glsp/2susp.cym/sizzle cymbal/cyms/bell tree/2tam-t/2tgl/BD - pft - cel - 2harps - strings |
Examples[]
Piece | Chester Novello | Boosey & Hawkes | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Symphony No. 25 (Mozart) | 0202 / 4000 / str[7] | 1.2.0.2 - 2.2.0.0 - timp - strings[6] | 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings |
Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven) | 3223 / 4230 / timp.perc / str[8] | 3.2.2.3 - 2.2.3.0 - timp - strings[6] | 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings |
Pictures at an Exhibition (Ravel orchestration) | 3(pic)3(ca)33 / 4331 / timp.5perc / 2hp.cel / str[9] | 3(III=picc).3(III=corA).3.3 - 4.3.3.1 - timp.perc(5) - cel - 2harps - strings[6] | 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, 5 percussionists, celesta, 2 harps, strings |
Symphony No. 1 (Mahler) | 4(2pic)4(ca)4(bcl)3(cbn) / 7431 / 2timp.perc / hp / str[10] | 4(III,IV=picc).4(III=corA).4(III=bcl).3(III=dbn) - 7.4.3.1 - timp(2).perc - harp - strings[6] | 4 flutes (2 doubling piccolo), 4 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 4 clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), 7 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 2 timpanists, percussion, harp, strings |
The Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) | 3(1pic)+pic+afl.4(1ca)+ca.3(1bcl)+Dcl(Ebcl)+bcl.4(1cbn) / 8(2ttuba).4(1btpt)pictpt.3.2 / 2timp.4perc / str[5] | 3(III=picc).picc.afl.4(IV=corA).corA.3(III=bcl).Dcl(=Ebcl).bcl.4(IV=dbn).dbn - 8(VII,VIII=ttuba).4(IV=btpt).picctpt.3.2 - timp(2).perc(4):crot/cyms/tam - t/tgl/guiro/BD/tamb - strings[11] | 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), piccolo, alto flute, 4 oboes (one doubling english horn), english horn, 3 clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), D clarinet (doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 4 bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), contrabassoon, 8 horns (2 doubling tenor tuba), 4 trumpets (1 doubling bass trumpet), piccolo trumpet, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, 2 timpani, 4 percussionists (crotales, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, guiro, bass drum, tambourine), strings |
An example of another approach, particularly useful where there may be extensive versatility required from doubling players, is given here for The Phantom of the Opera for a 45-part orchestra, taken from the Chester/Novello Hire Library:
- WW1(fl,pic).WW2(fl).WW3(cl).WW4(ob,ca).WW5(cl,bcl).WW6(bn)/3hn.3tpt.3tbn.tuba/2perc/hp.2kbd/str(85443 players)[12]
Sources[]
- Klaus Haller, Elfriede Witte (eds.): Regeln für die alphabetische Katalogisierung von Ausgaben musikalischer Werke (RAK-Musik). Leipzig 2004 (pdf; 561 kB). ISBN 3-933641-52-7 (in German)
Notes[]
- ^ The Order of Instruments in an Orchestral Score, Music Theory Website at Duke Ellington School of the Arts Accessed 27 May 2017
- ^ David Daniels: Orchestral Music A Handbook, Pub. (USA) Scarecrow Press, Inc, Lanham, Maryland, 1996. ISBN 0-8108-3228-3 (3rd Ed.), cf. 2nd Ed. ISBN 0-8108-1484-6 and 1st Ed. ISBN 0-8108-0537-5
- ^ Description of the online tool at daniels-orchestral.com Retrieved 18 February 2017
- ^ Adams, John (1998-09-23). "Harmonielehre". Earbox - John Adams. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Chester Novello Orchestration Guide". www.wisemusicclassical.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Boosey & Hawkes Standard Scoring and Language Abbreviations" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ^ "Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K183 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart". www.wisemusicclassical.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- ^ "Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Choral) | Ludwig van Beethoven". www.wisemusicclassical.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- ^ "Pictures at an Exhibition | Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky". www.wisemusicclassical.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- ^ "Symphony No.1 in D | Gustav Mahler". www.wisemusicclassical.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- ^ "Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring". www.boosey.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- ^ Guidelines to hiring Phantom of the Opera 2012, stageamusical.com. Accessed 4 March 2017
- Musical instruments
- Musical notation