Schumann orchestration (Child Falling Asleep)

Hi to all.

I'm pleased to present my latest attempt at orchestrating a piano work.

I've extended the piece, and added some of my own touches, including extra counterpoint lines.

Haven't spent much time on it yet: so I'm sure I'll need to revise some things.

Hope you enjoy!

Hey @Alex Weidmann!

I really love this piece!  And your orchestration is great!  I usually like when composers try to end their music on a non-tonic chord.  And one of my favorite moves too is to end on a subdominant, which you do here.  But I think, the tonic is so well established here and repeated so much that it seems unnatural for it to end on the A minor chord.  But I like the overall ending idea - not sure how much of it is your personal addition and how much is in the original.  And the counter melodies I liked too!  You also keep the groups of instruments playing together relatively small at any given time, giving the piece that chamber feeling that it needs in this case.  Thanks for sharing - your orchestration skills are definitely improving!

Hey Peter,

Thanks for the warm words!

The original does actually have the subdominant ending (see attached).

My new counterpoint is mostly in bars 45-51, in the oboe and clarinet.

I did think I might add some glissandi in the harp, as the harpist doesn't have much to do here, and it might suit the mood of the piece.

Hopefully I don't have any wrong notes like I did in the Debussy!

Schumann orchestration?  Contrary to legend, Schumann was not a bad orchestrator.  Workaday, like Brahms.  Not a colorist like Mahler, Ravel, let's see...Rimsky -Korsakov?  Just keep working, but only when you feel like it.  That would be my advice, and it is what I do.  Great exercise to orchestrate a Schumann piano piece, and piano music in general is hard to orchestrate. 

Orchestrate this:  

...or a better singer!

Thanks, I might give that a go!

I'm actually doing Ravel's "Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn" next. (In fact it's almost finished.)

Hi Alex .... I know getting the full resonance of a piano in an orchestration is a real challenge.  I have to say that I do miss the warm lower voices.  The upper woodwinds in the beginning (for me) need some warmth underneath (maybe from the lower strings).

Mark

Thanks Mark.
May give that a try.