Renowned for his talents as organist and composer,
Charles Marie Widor (18441937) was also a professor at the Paris
Conservatoire, where his vast knowledge of counterpoint, fugue, and
orchestration benefited such students as Honegger, Varèse, Milhaud,
and Dupré. In the course of his four decades of teaching at the
Conservatoire, he wrote this study of instrumentation, The Technique
of the Modern Orchestra, which he viewed as a supplement to
Berliozs celebrated but dated treatise on the same subject. Full of
insights and details not found in other manuals of instrumentation,
Widors 1904 text presents a comprehensive catalog of the various
abilities and qualities of all the orchestral instruments. It also
features an abundance of practical advice regarding instrumental
combinations and relevant works to study. This classic work
represents an invaluable reference for any student of orchestration.
Unabridged
republication of The
Technique of the Modern Orchestra, Joseph Williams,
London, 1946.
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