Debussy - Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon (orchestrated)

I have yet another orchestration for you today.

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...

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

Hello

Fantastic.

I think it captures the romantic spirit of Fauré [SORRY: DEBUSSY] very well – intimate, aristocratic and with a restrained elegance – acting as a direct bridge between the 19th century and French Impressionism.

It all sounds very clear.

I just have two comments:

1. Another thing that’s been firmly etched into my mind regarding the orchestra: always reinforce the bass. Because it’s in the part of the audio spectrum that the human ear perceives least clearly. Here it’s carried solely by the double basses; it could be doubled by the cellos, or a horn, or alternated, since you don’t have any bassoons.

2. Finally, I’m not sure if it’s possible to fit mutes onto the violins and viola in such a short space of time (half a bar). Overtones could be used for that effect.

Best regards.

Edited yesterday at 08:41 AM1 day by Luis Hernández

Many thanks Luis!

My idea for the double-bass drone was to have an almost imperceptible note of menace in the background.

That's why it's undoubled and pianissimo.

It's supposed to represent the backdrop of World War I, since this piece was written in 1917.

I think strings can apply the sordino device pretty quickly; but if not, they could always use flautando technique instead (as I have in the double-basses).

Noticed this evening I've made an embarrassing transcription mistake at one point: so I will be correcting that later today!

Thanks again for listening,

Alex

5 hours ago, Alex Weidmann said:

That's why it's undoubled and pianissimo.

It's supposed to represent the backdrop of World War I, since this piece was written in 1917.

I actually like the undoubled sound since it reinforces the airy and ethereal mood of the original Faure piece.

5 hours ago, Alex Weidmann said:

I think strings can apply the sordino device pretty quickly; but if not, they could always use flautando technique instead (as I have in the double-basses).

I think if there’s a bar’s rest it will be better for putting the mutes on. But yeah, using flautando or natural/artificial harmonics can produce that ethereal effect.

On 8/16/2026 at 4:23 AM, Alex Weidmann said:

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

Will a cornet serve better than trumpet for its more mellow sound?

Thx for sharing!

Henry

1 hour ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I actually like the undoubled sound since it reinforces the airy and ethereal mood of the original Faure piece.

I think if there’s a bar’s rest it will be better for putting the mutes on. But yeah, using flautando or natural/artificial harmonics can produce that ethereal effect.

Will a cornet serve better than trumpet for its more mellow sound?

Thx for sharing!

Henry

Thanks Henry!

It's actually by Debussy; not Fauré. (I think Luis mentioned Fauré because their music is of the same era, and has some common traits.)

I'd probably have to use an F trumpet rather than a B flat trumpet or cornet? Not an expert in trumpets though!

Alex

14 minutes ago, Alex Weidmann said:

I'd probably have to use an F trumpet rather than a B flat trumpet or cornet? Not an expert in trumpets though!

There is no such thing as an F Trumpet! LoL .. There's Bb Trumpet, Eb Cornet, C Trumpet, etc. But if you want a lower, F version of a trumpet you'd probably want a Flugelhorn! Although, I just looked it up on google and it says that F Trumpets and Flugelhorns do exist but are very rare.

42 minutes ago, Alex Weidmann said:

It's actually by Debussy; not Fauré. (I think Luis mentioned Fauré because their music is of the same era, and has some common traits.)

My bad! 😁

37 minutes ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

There is no such thing as an F Trumpet! LoL .. There's Bb Trumpet, Eb Cornet, C Trumpet, etc. But if you want a lower, F version of a trumpet you'd probably want a Flugelhorn! Although, I just looked it up on google and it says that F Trumpets and Flugelhorns do exist but are very rare.

Now that I think about it, I used to march in a drum and bugle corps and all of our instruments were in G, even though such horns were usually also very rare. I marched with a G Mellophone which was basically a G Marching French Horn. The Trumpets were called G Sopranos and the Trombones and Tubas were just called G Tenors and G Contras. So I'm sure there exists every kind of instrument and tuning imaginable, somewhere.

I did find this webpage on F trumpets:

Robb Stewart Brass Instruments

Apparently they were very popular in the 1800s; but it says they're basically extinct today!

Having read the review of the trumpet in F, I think it refers to a natural trumpet.

It’s the same as with the French horn.

Before the 19th century, these instruments were not chromatic. They were only capable of playing a natural scale. That is why there were horns in D, G, etc., depending on how they were constructed. This entailed significant limitations, particularly from today’s perspective. And that is why they took longer to be incorporated into the symphonic repertoire.

In the 19th century, horns and trumpets evolved to incorporate the modern mechanisms of valves, etc., and became as we know them today.

I believe that in such situations, one should look for another instrument where the register is comfortable.

Here it is with transcription errors corrected.

Perhaps I should move the Trumpet 1 part into the Oboe to solve the range problem?

Or I could shift that passage down an octave, and leave it in the trumpets?

Debussy - Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon #24 (score).pdf

Alex,

Please aware that in measure 6 you have a slur in pp in the Oboe going to the B - Bb the Oboe's lowest note. Not a problem usually, however, at that dynamic level it might not work. At measure 16 you have the Oboe at the high F and G.... I don't see the benefit here at all. Not really recommended unless it is an avant garde work. In both cases the Oboist will not be happy with the orchestration.

Mark