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Timbre and Orchestration Resource
About
Publications
Learn About Timbre
Learn About Orchestration
FR
Timbre and Orchestration Resource
About
Publications
Learn About Timbre
Learn About Orchestration
FR
Folder:About
Folder:Publications
Folder:Learn About Timbre
Folder:Learn About Orchestration
FR
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The Timbre and Orchestration Resource (TOR) is an open-access web platform featuring articles, essays, videos, teaching and learning materials, and other resources dedicated to research and pedagogy in timbre and orchestration.

ABOUT the TOR

Learn more about how this site is designed to support the analysis, creation, and teaching of timbre and orchestration.

CONTACT

Have questions or want to connect? Reach out to us directly using the contact details provided on this page.

SITE MAP

Navigate our site with ease. This sitemap provides an overview of all pages to help you find what you're looking for quickly.

ACTOR PROJECT

An international transdisciplinary partnership researching timbre and orchestration.

 
 

In this section of the site, you can find written and video publications created by members of the ACTOR (Analysis, Creation, and Teaching of Orchestration) Project as well as bibliographies on various topics related to timbre and orchestration. Click on the menu items below to learn more.

WRITINGS

Explore peer-reviewed articles and essays advancing the study of timbre and orchestration.

VIDEOS

Discover videos and research presentations showcasing insights into timbre and orchestration.

EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS

Publications by the Analysis, Creation, and Teaching of Orchestration Project.

 

HOW TO CITE

Suggested guidelines for how to cite publications and resources on this website.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Bibliographies on various topics central to the study of timbre, orchestration, and music perception.

 
 
 

Timbre is often described as a sound’s “colour.” More specifically, it is defined as a set of auditory attributes that both carry musical qualities and collectively contribute to sound source recognition and identification. Click on the menu items below to learn more.

LEARN ABOUT TIMBRE

Learn about timbre with resources for all levels—explore, understand, and deepen your knowledge.

TEACHING TIMBRE TOPICS

Access modular teaching materials on timbre, encompassing definitions, analysis, and practical applications.

TIMBRE COURSE SYLLABI

Find syllabi from leading educators to guide teaching and learning in timbre studies.

ACTOR EDUFILMS

A series of short films, suitable for all audiences, on compelling and mystifying timbre and orchestration topics.

 
 

Orchestration involves the skillful selection, combination, and juxtaposition of instruments at different pitches and dynamics to achieve a particular sonic goal. Click on the menu items below to learn more.

LEARN ABOUT ORCHESTRATION

Explore resources to deepen your understanding of orchestration, from techniques to expressive possibilities.

ORCHESTRAL RECORDINGS (ODESSA)

Multitrack recordings of orchestral excerpts, analyzing the effects of instrumental distribution on sound, space, and acoustics.

RESEARCH ENSEMBLES (CORE)

A collaborative initiative where student composers and performers explore orchestration through research-creation projects.

 
 
 

ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS

Learn more about the instruments of the Western orchestra.

INSTRUMENTS OF THE CHINESE ORCHESTRA

Learn more about the instruments of the Chinese orchestra.

 
Tchaikovsky | Symphony No. 4 | Flute family Ex. 7
Extreme Orchestration, Tchaikovsky Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Tchaikovsky Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Tchaikovsky | Symphony No. 4 | Flute family Ex. 7

The example showcases the piccolo's extraordinary brightness and lightness in a very high range.

Read More
Saint-Saëns | Carnival of the Animals | Flute Family Ex. 6
Extreme Orchestration, Saint-Saëns Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Saint-Saëns Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Saint-Saëns | Carnival of the Animals | Flute Family Ex. 6

One of three examples demonstrating the flute's remarkable agility, fluidity, and sparkling brilliance, all while playing soft and delicate. No. 10, Volière (Aviary), mm. 6-15 (rehearsal 1)

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Rimsky-Korsakov | Russian Easter Overture | Flute Family Ex. 5
Extreme Orchestration, Rimsky-Korsakov Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Rimsky-Korsakov Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Rimsky-Korsakov | Russian Easter Overture | Flute Family Ex. 5

One of three examples demonstrating the flute's remarkable agility, fluidity, and sparkling brilliance, all while playing soft and delicate (rehearsal C).

Read More
Rossini | William Tell Overture | Flute Family Ex. 4
Extreme Orchestration, Rossini Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Rossini Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Rossini | William Tell Overture | Flute Family Ex. 4

One of three examples demonstrating the flute's remarkable agility, fluidity, and sparkling brilliance, all while playing soft and delicate, mm. 209-212 (rehearsal letter G).

Read More
Debussy | Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune | Flute Family Ex. 3
Extreme Orchestration, Debussy Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Debussy Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Debussy | Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune | Flute Family Ex. 3

The excerpt features a flute solo that highlights the instrument's rich tone in its lower register, supported by a delicate accompaniment which gradually increases in complexity and depth as the flute melodic line rises in pitch, from mm. 21-30 (rehearsal 2)

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Brahms | Symphony No. 4 | Flute Family Ex. 2
Extreme Orchestration, Brahms Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Brahms Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Brahms | Symphony No. 4 | Flute Family Ex. 2

This example showcases the flute's expressive and lyrical qualities across its entire range. From the 4th movement, mm. 89-105

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Beethoven | Symphony No. 3 | Flute Family Ex. 1
Extreme Orchestration, Beethoven Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24 Extreme Orchestration, Beethoven Don Freund and David Cutler 5/16/24

Beethoven | Symphony No. 3 | Flute Family Ex. 1

This passage, written in the flute's optimal tessitura above the staff, allows the instrument to shine with its singing tone, crisp articulation, brilliant passagework, and full dynamic range, easily projecting over the orchestra. From the 4th movement, mm. 170-200

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