# Cleverly orchestrated scales



## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

The humble scale. An exercise. So rarely does it get to shine in the spotlight of a real composition, except maybe as a quick run to get from point A to point B. 

But some scales are orchestrated with pure genius....

Here are two of my favorites. Add yours!
1.) Beethoven, opening of finale to Symphony no. 1 (excellent musical joke too)
2.) Tchaikovsky, main theme (!) of adagio section of grand pas de deux in Nutcracker


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2013)

The 3rd movement of Haydn's 'Cello Concerto in C is pretty much one extended scale passage.


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## Feathers (Feb 18, 2013)

The 4th movement of Symphonie Fantastique


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

The first subject (not the intro) of the first movement of Schubert's 9th comes to mind, or the finale of Beethoven's 5th.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

"Basically" a pentatonic scale :






At 3:05. The opening theme also.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I can't think of one off the top of my head. But as a newer piano student, I enjoy playing around within a scale and improvising little melodies. Nice for when one wants to sounds a little musical but just fool around and not focus on sheet music.


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## Andreas (Apr 27, 2012)

There's a very prominent descending scale in the finale of Bruckner's 8th, part of the third group of themes of the exposition. He used it again in the 9th in the adagio and the unfinished finale.

Also, I think Arvo Pärt's Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten is based on a descending scale, too.


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