# Which composer could physically play the most instruments?



## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

actually playing them not just composing for them.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Challenge accepted!

*Glazunov:*
Piano
Violin
Cello
Clarinet
Horn
Trumpet
Trombone 
Various Percussion (I guess liberally snare, tympani, possibly bells)
And of course, conducted.

Beat that! :devil:

:tiphat:


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Paul Hindemith could pick up any and all of the orchestral instruments, winds, strings, at least -- probably the standard percussion of the earlier 20th century -- and play them at a professional level.

Today, with extended techniques commonly in use for all instruments, and for example, malletphone players (Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone) routinely playing polyphony with two mallets in each hand, sometimes more, that 'challenge' to play all the instruments to 'the new professional level of the later 20th century' might be harder for even the most polymath of talented players to achieve.


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## mitchflorida (Apr 24, 2012)

Can you write a violin concerto and not know how to play the violin? Would seem difficult.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

mitchflorida said:


> Can you write a violin concerto and not know how to play the violin? Would seem difficult.


William Walton wrote very successful and often performed Violin and Viola Concertos, yet as far as I know could play neither (or any) instrument(s).


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## afterpostjack (May 2, 2010)

Telemann played a lot of instruments, 9 of them if my sources are correct.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I play three, but I know how to play two more....


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

mitchflorida said:


> Can you write a violin concerto and not know how to play the violin? Would seem difficult.


Tchaikovsky, Berg, Stravinsky, a.o.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

PetrB said:


> Tchaikovsky


:lol: :lol: He didn't learn how to play _anything _well, not even piano! 

But, he did play the flute. And that's all that matters. <3 <3 <3

:tiphat:


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## pianotubia (Jan 5, 2013)

I think it's Paul Hindemith (1895-1963). 
His main instruments were Violin and Viola, and at those, he was genius/virtuosic, and they were his main instruments. He also composed and conducted. 
It is said (and this has been confirmed to me by research and confirmation from musicologists) that he played the notoriously difficult solo parts for all of his numerous sonatas impeccably. He wrote 7/8 (?) violin sonatas, 7 viola sonatas, 3 cello sonatas, a "little" sonata for Viola d'Amore, as well as a harp sonata and a double bass sonata. He composed sonatas for all realms of woodwind, notably flute, bassoon and oboe and a clarinet sonata (?) and a English horn sonata. Then there was a horn sonata, Sonata for Four Horns and a Sonata for Alto Horn (tenor horn U.K.) and he performed this on tenor horn and alto saxophone. Also trumpet, trombone and tuba sonatas by him exist. Does that cover the orchestra and more?

Because of the standard of the sonatas, he must have gotten to a very good standard on all of these instruments, which is very impressive.

FYI, 
Me and my friend make up the perfect musician: she plays everything I don't, and we play them all well. 
I play: 
*Grade 8 and Dip. ABRSM*
Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Clavichord, Tuba, Euphonium, Baritone Horn, Trombone, Bass Trombone, Double Bass and Cello. 
*Grade 8*
Soprano Trumpet, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Cornet, French Horn, Tenor Horn, Viola, Piccolo, Flute and Alto Flute. 
*Grade 5*
Saxphones (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone), Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Singing (Tenor/Bass)

She plays: 
*Grade 8 and Dip. ABRSM*
Piano, Harpsichord, Organ, Harmonium, Harp, Piccolo, Flute, Alto Flute, E-flat Clarinet, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Recorder, Viola, Violin, Viola D'Amore, Trumpet, Cornet, Horn, Oboe, Cor Anglais. 
*Grade 8*
Baritone, Tuba, Saxophones, Singing (Soprano, Alto), Cello, Mandolin, Bassoon, Contrabassoon, Balalaika, Guitar, Celeste, Accordion. 
*Grade 6*
Double Bass, Electric Bass.

We've both studied conducting and composition and we actively compose, arrange, conduct and play/sing all listed instruments.

BEAT THAT!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

mitchflorida said:


> Can you write a violin concerto and not know how to play the violin? Would seem difficult.


You obviously have to know the limits of the instrument you are writing for but you needn't necessarily be able to play it. Composers sometimes wrote far beyond their own ability for an instrument. For example, I don't think Schubert could play his Wanderer Fantasy. And of course when a composer writes for a full orchestra he doesn't necessarily need to be able to play every instrument.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Paul Hindemith could pick up any and all of the orchestral instruments, winds, strings, at least -- probably the standard percussion of the earlier 20th century -- and play them at a professional level.
> 
> Today, with extended techniques commonly in use for all instruments, and for example, malletphone players (Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone) routinely playing polyphony with two mallets in each hand, sometimes more, that 'challenge' to play all the instruments to 'the new professional level of the later 20th century' might be harder for even the most polymath of talented players to achieve.


I have also read that Hindemith could play any part he composed.


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## Enthalpy (Apr 15, 2020)

mitchflorida said:


> Can you write a violin concerto and not know how to play the violin? Would seem difficult.


*Ravel* wrote perfectly for the violin. He didn't even take technical margins: his Tzigane is among the seriously difficult pieces. And he exploited the extremely diverse possibilities of the instrument.

He also wrote parts for the harp that are perfectly playable and not oversimple despite the instrument is notoriously difficult to write.

As far as I know, he only played the piano and a bit the cimbalom. So yes, a composer can address an instrument without playing it by himself, just from formal knowledge. This must take time.


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

The actual answer (that jolly non-readers are going to ignore) is probably someone unsung, like Gerhard Trede (1913-1996)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Trede



> Bemerkenswert ist die Tatsache, dass Trede selbst über 50 Instrumente spielte und diese z. T. für Studioaufnahmen eigenständig einspielte.


He could play over 50 instruments and played them himself on many recordings of his over 3000 compositions.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I think that Hindemith takes the cake....he wrote sonatas for all sorts of instruments - strings woodwinds and brass...he could play every one of these.


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

See?................


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Enthalpy said:


> *.......So yes, a composer can address an instrument without playing it by himself, just from formal knowledge. This must take time.*


*

This is correct.*


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Wasn't Villa Lobos supposedly competent on every instrument except the oboe?
At least according to Villa Lobos.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

J.S. Bach not only played all the instruments he could also sing all the parts.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

pianotubia said:


> I think it's Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)....
> 
> FYI,
> Me and my friend make up the perfect musician: she plays everything I don't, and we play them all well.
> ...


Beat that? I sure will!

I know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who plays any instrument you can name, even the didgeridoo and the Berimbau de boca, neither instrument of which is on your list.

So there!

Too, I give Hindemith the nod. He was indeed a remarkable musician.


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