Tonality for orchestra

Hi all.

There are tonalities that seem more "neutral" ....

But let's say I want to orchestrate this Nocturne in C# min by Lysenko.

Would you do it in that tonality? How to bring peace for instruments in F (french horns) or in Bb.... I think clarinets could be changed to clarinets in A.

I need to go over some scores I now they are in E maj or A maj and see what the greatest did....

I don't see a problem with keeping it in this key when orchestrating.  If you used A Clarinet, their key would be E minor.  F Horns would play in the key of G# minor.  The only bad thing would be the Bb Trumpets which would play in the key of D# minor or Eb minor.  Also, I don't know what the lowest tones are in the rest of the piece, but in C# minor it would allow the Cellos and Basses with a C extension to play the leading tone of this key in the bass (B#).

Definitely no problem with the key! I would use A clarinets as it's fairly standard practice to have them for sharp keys. The horns often won't use key signatures anyway, so it wouldn't make much difference other than a few more accidentals in the parts (which horn players are used to). You could consider using trumpets in C, which are again standard as sharp-key trumpets!

I think this orchestration could turn out really very nicely.

aMC

I don't see a problem with this key. F# major is where you really start getting problems and start having to notate it in flats instead(i.e. Gb major), at least as far as I know.