Score Study Report Form Brass

BYU—Idaho Scoring & Arranging MUS 387
Score Study
In and around the M1001/M1002 section of the library, you will find scores of many important orchestra and
band works—more than enough for each of you to check out one or two of them. Other resources, such as the Classical
Scores Library in from the “Alphabetical List of All Paid Resources” page of the McKay Library Webpage may also be
used. I especially encourage you to look at scores of works the campus ensembles are performing this semester.
Chapter 15 (Scoring for Orchestra) will help you in your analysis.
Choose a score and a recording of that score and listen to the music (one movement of a symphony or
equivalent) while following along in the score. You should do this at least twice or three times. For the instrument
family we are currently studying, note the following features:
Title and Composer: Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique- IV: Marche au Supplice
Which instruments from this family are used? How many of each? How large are the sections?
4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, 2 ophicleides (typically replaced by tuba). The piece is written
for about a hundred piece orchestra.
Indicate the range used for each instrument in the instrument family being studied. [Middle C = C4] Pay
particular attention to the tessitura of the instrument (its most typical range for this piece).
Horn: ^G5 vG2 Trombones: ^G5 v D3
Trumpet: ^E5 vE4 Ophicleide:^Bb4 vD2
Cornet: ^Bb5 vE4
Most of the instruments stay to the top of their range (top of the staff)
What role does the composer usually assign the section? What instruments get the melody? Does it seem to
be independent of or dependent on other sections?
The brass gets a mixture of solo and color parts, not usually harmony. The ophicleide has some epic low
punching notes that give a full color to the sound. For mucho of the song the horns take the melody. Berlioz
reserves using all of the brass until the end of the movement where it sounds loud and glorious.
What doublings are most effective within the instrument family? Among other families?
I noticed that there is a lot of doubling within the brass, but not other families.
Any special effects or other comments on the scoring of this piece?

Besides being for ophicleide? In one part, it calls for all the cylinders open on horn. Other places call for
unison horn, trumbones, and cornettes
Repeat this process for a score by a composer from a different century or style period:
Title and Composer: Pini di Roma (Respighi, Ottorino)
Which instruments from this family are used? How many of each? How large are the sections?
This piece has a more expanded brass section: 4 horns in F and E, 3 trumpets in B-flat, 2 tenor trombones,
bass trombone, tuba or cimbasso, 6 Buccine in B-flat (played on flugel or saxhorns as follows: 2 Soprano, 2
Tenor, 2 Bass) and offstage trumpet in C.
Indicate the range used for each instrument in the instrument family being studied. [Middle C = C4] Pay
particular attention to the tessitura of the instrument (its most typical range for this piece).
All of the instruments seem to sit higher in their ranges for a slightly less powerful sound, more bright.
What role does the composer usually assign the section? What instruments get the melody? Does it seem to
be independent of or dependent on other sections?
The trumpets get a lot of solo outbursts in this piece, as well as the horn taking a lot of soaring melodies, as
to be expected. At the end of movement one, there is a huge, dissonant build-up of brass tutti. The more
“triumphant” sections are done by the brass.
What doublings are most effective within the instrument family? Among other families?
The horns often doubled oboe. There is also doubling between strings and
Any special effects or other comments on the scoring of this piece?

There are straight mutes on trumpets.
Finally, Compare/contrast the two works you chose and try to summarize what you learned about the
orchestration techniques of the two composers.
Pines of Rome used a more mellow sound from the brass, either from horns or muted trumpets. In
Symphonie Fantastique, the brass is highlighted by the best range of the instrument more. Because the Pines
of Rome featured a much larger orchestra, as well as a higher variety of instruments, the brass are used for a
more unique color of each instrument than in Berlioz’s “brass sections.”

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BYU—Idaho Scoring & Arranging MUS 387

Title and Composer: Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique- IV: Marche au Supplice

Any special effects or other comments on the scoring of this piece?

Title and Composer: Pini di Roma (Respighi, Ottorino)

Any special effects or other comments on the scoring of this piece?

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