Principles of Orchestration, with Musical Examples Drawn from His Own Works

(4 User reviews)   895
By Nancy Lefevre Posted on Jan 2, 2026
In Category - Music History
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay, 1844-1908 Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay, 1844-1908
English
"Principles of Orchestration, with Musical Examples Drawn from His Own Works" by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov is a treatise on orchestration written in the early 20th century. This work serves as a comprehensive examination of orchestral techniques, focusing on the principles of orchestrating music while providing insights from Rimsky-Korsakov’s own com...
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At the start of the work, the authoress lays out the motivation behind his treatise, emphasizing the need to express orchestration as an essential part of music composition. The opening chapters detail the structure and capabilities of various orchestral groups, beginning with stringed instruments, and introduce fundamental concepts related to melody and its orchestral execution. Rimsky-Korsakov offers practical guidance on how to create effective combinations of instruments, explore their tonal qualities, and understand their expressive capacities. Through his meticulous analysis, he aims to provide a framework that enables musicians to master the art of orchestration while reminding them that creativity in this domain cannot be taught in formulaic terms. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Kevin Rodriguez
4 months ago

Simply put, the examples add real-world context to abstract ideas. This felt rewarding to read.

Paul Nguyen
5 months ago

My professor recommended this and the clarity of explanations makes revisiting sections worthwhile. I’d rate this higher if I could.

Paul Scott
1 month ago

A fantastic dicsovery, the structure allows easy navigation and quick referencing. Simply brilliant.

Oliver Jones
4 months ago

Once I started reading, the presentation of ideas feels natural and engaging. This deserves far more attention.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (4 User reviews )

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