An Exploratory Study of Western Orchestration: Patterns through History

Authors

  • Song Hui Chon Rochester Institute of Technology
  • David Huron Ohio State University
  • Dana DeVlieger University of Minnesota

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18061/emr.v12i3-4.5773

Keywords:

orchestration, instrumentation, instrument combinations, music history

Abstract

Changes in instrument combination patterns in Western classical orchestral music are traced over a three hundred year period from 1701 to 2000. Using a stratified sample of sonorities from 180 orchestral works by 147 composers, various empirical analyses are reported. These include analyses of instrumentation presence, instrument usage, ensemble size, common instrument combinations, instrument clusterings, and their changes over time. In addition, the study reports associations of different instruments with various dynamic levels, different tempos, pitch class doublings, affinities between instruments and chord factors, as well as interactions between pitch, dynamics, and tempo. Results affirm many common intuitions and historical observations regarding orchestration, but also reveal a number of previously unrecognized patterns of instrument use.

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Published

2018-06-25

How to Cite

Chon, S. H., Huron, D., & DeVlieger, D. (2018). An Exploratory Study of Western Orchestration: Patterns through History. Empirical Musicology Review, 12(3-4), 116–159. https://doi.org/10.18061/emr.v12i3-4.5773

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Articles