# History of Orchestration



## Buxtehude

I am interested in how ensembles have changed over time. Other than synchronic treatises, is there a diachronic survey of orchestration? Is there a "History of Orchestration"?


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## ScottManson

I don't think there is a single book that covers orchestration as a whole over time. However, you could get lots of different books written in different eras for comparison.


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## Merl

The only one I know of is the Adam Carse book. There's a preview here.

https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_History_of_Orchestration.html?id=8UJUQeWMWpUC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y


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## mbhaub

Joan Peyser's book The Orchestra is what you want.


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## Larkenfield

If I were looking for a starting point on the history of _orchestration_, I'd start with the history, expansion, and development of the _orchestra_, because there cannot be one without the other... There's no orchestration without the appropriate orchestra and they have greatly changed over the centuries, and quite a fascinating development. The history should be easy to find. Then for orchestration look to the ones best known of it, such Rimsky-Korsakov, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Respighi, and others, to see how the colors and combination of instruments changed over the years.


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## 13hm13

Check out -- and subscribe to -- YouTube's OrchestrationOnline vlog:


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