I’m writing a series of short pieces for orchestra using ‘modern’ musical languages. I’m doing this because I enjoy it and to develop my skills in orchestration.

I write them for piano first, but with orchestration already in mind. However, I don’t include the piano version.

In this case, it’s a PC Set (postonal theory) consisting of just four notes, with the form (0125) corresponding to Forte 4-4. As an example, starting from C, it would be: C – C# – D – F.

It is then treated in many different ways: horizontally, vertically, inverted, rotated, etc., etc....

The piece has been reviewed by an expert composer and orchestrator.

Although, of course, there are a thousand things that could be said about it.

SKETCH 4_4.pdf

I'm back with more of Frank Bridge's "Fairy Tale".

This movement was really fun to orchestrate!

I thought tuba and contrabassoon would be good choices for an ogre.

Hope you enjoy.

Bridge - A Fairy Tale 2. The Ogre (orchestration) #14.pdf

Just wanted to post my latest orchestration.

It's another piece by Frank Bridge called "The Fairy Tale" (why does it keep autocorrecting to "The Dairy Tale"?!)

I've only tackled the first movement so far (titled "The Princess").

The original piano work is very light: so I've tried to keep it so here.

At one point I alternate between pizzicato and staccato in the 2nd violins, to provide a different colour. Not really sure this works? Perhaps I should've stuck with staccato only.

The poor doublebasses have nothing to do. I wonder where they could play a role? Perhaps pizzicato would work somewhere?

The celli also could do with more material; but not sure where to bring them in?

All tips very welcome!

N.B. I haven't bothered to write in alternations between the 1st and 2nd flutes, clarinets and oboes as yet. I will add some later, so they don't run out of breath.

Bridge - A Fairy Tale 1. The Princess (orchestration) #16 (added ZL compressor).pdf

I hope you enjoy!

I've just completed another movement of "The Fairy Tale" by Frank Bridge.

This may be my favourite piece so far that I've orchestrated!

Have included a proper engraving this time, minus the front matter. Any tips on layout very welcome.

The original piano piece had some weird bitonality at Bar 15, which didn't work in an orchestral arrangement. So I had to rewrite that bar, and change some of the pitches.

Also added a bit of extra counterpoint in Bar 25.

Bridge - A Fairy Tale 3. The Spell (orchestration) #20.pdf

Grok.AI 시 Claude.AI 퇴고 라임이 ㅎㅎ 퇴고 라임이 곡

고난주간을 위한 신성가곡3 for Soprano and Orchestra

못 박힌 손으로 우릴 안으시고, 가시관 머리로 친구 삼으시니, 아버지의 영광과 사랑의 비밀을, 한점도 남김없이 우리에게 알게 하셨도다. 죄인이던 우리를 자녀와 죄안에 얽매인 우리에게, 아낌없이 모두 주셨도다. 존귀함 존엄함을 우리게 주시고, 생명과 은혜로 우리를 채우시니...

'Sacred songs3'

With hands pierced by nails, He gathers us in His embrace; With His head crowned with thorns, He calls us His friends; The mystery of the Father’s glory and love, He has revealed to us in its fullness. Though we were sinners, He made us His children; Though bound by sin, He gave us everything without reserve. He granted us honor and dignity, And filled us with life and grace...

This is my newest compostion, Open Horizons (in the sea...)

The arrangment and performance is done with musescore 4 and musesounds pro.

As i am still taking lessongs in music harmony, i do the orchestration by ear and intuition.

I would like to hear reviews , opinions and orchestration remarks for the music piece.

open horizons in the sea...a ship set sails under the morning sun and a new journey begins!

Open Horizons (In the Sea).pdf

For those interested in film scoring, a pre composed composition, doesn't always fit the bill,in that it can't create the tension and release at the appropriate times for the Final film cut, so you have to Rearrange the original, even though you felt it was perfect. you cant be too precious about holding on to your first vision,you can see the changes done in the films version. ,compared to the original pdf score.

bsv.mid BSV.pdf

This is my second concerto, written in e minor for piano and orchestra. It consists of three movements.

Mov. 1 E Moll

Mov. 2 B Dur-E Dur

Mov. 3 E Moll.

My Internet is low so I won't bother with the details.

Thx! Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

-TristanTheTristan

This work is loosely connected to my last post "Chills".

As I wrote the piano version of that piece, it brought to mind the style of Charles Koechlin. So it seemed fitting to make an orchestration of one of his lovely piano miniatures.

I wonder how many of you have never heard of him? (I hadn't until recently!)

I've posted two versions below: 14 has a different woodwind arrangement of the opening passage, and a percussive hit added in Bar 8.

I wonder which you think is best?

As usual it's a rough score, intended for midi only. I haven't got round to adding slurs, and the 1st Violin passages would probably make more sense if I split them across 2nd Violins and Violas.

The original piano piece can be found in the You Tube link below.

Koechlin - Roses Au Soleil De Midi #14.pdf Koechlin - Roses Au Soleil De Midi #12.pdf

The instrumentation is small orchestra: string section, double woodwinds, and horns. The piece is in a simple A–B–A form. The A section, in A-flat major, features a woodwind duet melody over cello arpeggios. The B section shifts to B major and moves the melody into a darker, lower register with cellos, basses, bassoons, and low horns, while the arpeggiated motion moves into the woodwinds and violin harmonics create a soft background shimmer. The opening material then returns, and the piece ends quietly as the cello arpeggios gradually fade away.

I tried to keep the harmony and form fairly clear, and focus more on creating a distinct atmosphere than building a large dramatic arc. I wanted the piece to have motion and energy, but still feel calm, lyrical, and restrained.

I’d really appreciate outside ears on the composition, orchestration, mockup realism, balance, phrasing, use of register, or simply whether the coastal/wind-like atmosphere comes across.

Thanks in advance!

Coastal Wind Score - CONCERT SCORE Ver1.pdf

I’m back from a bit of a musical hiatus/summer break, and I wanted to share my latest orchestration project: Fauré’s Nocturne No. 1 in E-flat minor.

Some of you may remember an earlier orchestration of this piece posted on the forum by @Alex Weidmann which I also reviewed at the time. That version gave me some ideas and eventually inspired me to try orchestrating the piece myself, although I ended up taking my own approach to it.

I still think this is a surprisingly difficult piece to orchestrate. E-flat minor is not the friendliest orchestral key, particularly for the strings, harp, and transposing instruments. The piano writing also contains a lot of overlapping lines and inner details that cannot simply be transferred directly without the texture becoming too heavy.

As an additional challenge, I limited myself to a relatively small chamber orchestra: two flutes with piccolo doubling, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, harp, and strings. I was thinking loosely of the scale and transparency of Ravel’s orchestration of the Pavane pour une infante défunte, rather than trying to imitate its sound directly.

My goal was to preserve the intimate, nocturnal character of the original while passing the melodic material between solo winds, divided strings, and occasional string soloists. I also tried to avoid using the harp as a constant substitute for the piano, saving it instead for color and continuity.

I’m interested to hear what everyone thinks. The score and audio are attached—thanks for taking a look!

Full score.pdf

As i am in my village in southern Greece for vacations, i am away from my music studio in Athens. However i still have Musescore 4 for arranging ideas and i just finished orchestrating my composition "Calling For Inspiration". I am still doing lessons in music harmony so for my orchestration and arrangement ideas i just follow my instict and ear. Of course the final audio quality is not the same as if i would have composed the piece in my sequencer (with many proper audio libraries), but still i think that musescore does a decent job in rendering the sounds.

Calling for inspiration...through the Renaissance times, music evolved to soothe the spirit and help the psyche reach the skies, outer and inner...

Please i would love to hear remarks, reviews and opinions in the piece and in which ways i could improve the orchestration and arrangement!

Kind Regards,
Lampros Marantos

CALLING FOR INSPIRATION.pdf

I’m uploading only No. 2 from Op. 19 here, which is very, very short.

After completing it, it was reviewed by a professional composer, and I’ve noted down the suggestions he gave me.

The opening was very ‘dry’, with just the strings in pizzicato, so I added the flute notes, which are in a soft register and played pianissimo, to create a resonant effect.

The line played by the oboe and clarinet in bars 2 and 3 – I’d originally written it doubled by a violin, with the parts shared between these instruments. I’ve removed the violin and split the line into two pairs that make sense given the different intervals. This way, the instruments sound ‘pure’, in keeping with this musical language.

At the climactic moments, in bar 6 and the finale, I have added a beat or more, so that those climactic chords resonate for as long as necessary.

Furthermore, the two final notes on the clarinets were short (eighth notes) and, as the teacher pointed out, the upper part of the chord did indeed sound ‘muted’ and hollow. So I lengthened them.

Extending the final chord allowed me to make the harp’s glissando rise and then fall. Before, it only went up.

In this sort of language, I think you have to be quite literal, but also allow yourself some licence so that the orchestra can display its capabilities, such as those resonances and prolongations in certain bars.

Partitura_.pdf

This is my new composition, called Sweet Nightmare. It has dark and mystifying musical motifs with a surreal dimention added to them.

I use many instruments of the orchestra along with female voice choirs.

Welcome to your nightmare...the curtains are drawn, the light fades and you slip into your unconscious in order to face the surreal with a sweet taste...

Enjoy!

Sweet Nightmare

SWEET NIGHTMARE SCORE.pdf

Star Wars 1.pdf

Star Trek 1.pdf

I know there are arrangements of this piano work for various ensembles; but I couldn't find one for symphony orchestra: so I thought I'd make one.

Hope you enjoy listening!

Rachmaninoff - Elegie in E♭ minor (orchestration) #26 (midi).pdf

This is part of a broader goal I have of writing short, simple pieces. With this one, I was trying to focus on melody, color, and restraint — something peaceful and dreamlike, but still gently expressive. The instrumentation is solo flute, harp, and violin section, with the harp providing a soft arpeggiated texture, the flute carrying the main melody, and the violins entering later with a slow countermelody.

I kept the harmony fairly simple and color-focused, and I was more interested in creating a clear atmosphere than building a large dramatic form. I’m happy with how the piece turned out overall, but I’d really appreciate outside ears.

I’d love feedback on the composition, orchestration, mockup realism, balance, phrasing, or simply whether the mood comes across the way I intended.

Thanks in advance!

Morning Meadow - Concert Score Ver1.pdf

DESTINATION BERMUDA 2.mid

DB.pdf

This was apparently Debussy's last work, which makes it all the more poignant for me to orchestrate.

It contains some surprising and fascinating harmonic progressions, pointing the way towards those composers who came after him.

I've tried to maintain the furtive and playful nature of the piece, and kept the orchestration as light as possible.

I think I've probably gone a bit too high for the trumpet? Might be a bit squeaky and unpleasant up there?

Colin Matthews has orchestrated this one, and I listened to his version about a week before crafting mine.

Tried not to let it influence me at all, and I haven't looked at his score.

Anyhow, looking forward to your thoughts...

(N.B. An updated/amended version is posted lower down the thread.)

Debussy - Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon #21 (score).pdf

OCEAN BERMUDA by V.I.P. EXCLUSIVE.midOCEAN BERMUDA by V.I.P. EXCLUSIVE.pdfBEMUDA CHORAL CHOIR SUPREME.midOCEAN BERMUDA&amp;lt;span class="ipsEmoji"&amp;gt;&lt;span class="ipsEmoji"&gt;<span class="ipsEmoji">™</span>&lt;/span&gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; Main Title Theme&amp;lt;span class="ipsEmoji"&amp;gt;&lt;span class="ipsEmoji"&gt;<span class="ipsEmoji">©</span>&lt;/span&gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; Opening Closing Credits..pdf

BEMUDA CHORAL CHOIR SUPREME.pdf

Due to the necessary integral transposition of this work, however, the coda's newly resulting ending key (F-sharp/G-flat major), the only key along with its relative D-sharp/E-flat minor that displays an equal number of accidentals when enharmonized, far too many inconsistencies relating to the enharmonization of melodic intervals can be found in this version. Normally I would have managed to transcribe the melodic theme across all its internal transpositions in a way capable of satisfying apparent melodic continuity throughout the notation process, but due to the ambivalent quality of this key when it comes to enharmonization, not even the coda could be perfectly transcribed without far too many double accidentals. As such, as much as it irks me to see it like this, I have had no choice but to leave the currently notated version of this canon as is.

The choral lyrics of this canon (once again, in Latin) translate as follows: "Change is inevitable in all things. Everything flows in the balance of those who are tempestive." As for the coda, its own lyrics further drive the meaning of these aphorisms to greater clarity and realization.

YouTube video link: 

II. Scherzo — A very fast and light movement, providing the most energetic and playful music of the serenade.

III. Intermezzo — Relaxed and flowing, almost like a leisurely walk, without becoming overly reflective.

IV. Elegie — The most introspective and melancholic movement, gradually building towards a more intense emotional climax.

V. Finale — Begins with a tonally unsettled, march-like introduction before breaking into a bright and joyful A major conclusion, with brief returns of material from earlier movements.
Hope you enjoy it, and I’d be very happy to hear any thoughts or feedback!

Serenade.pdf