The Washington times., 1935-10-26
Leaders Seek
"BaLanced''
Sections

1
for new effects. Players, espe
cially upon the wind instruments
were hard put to perform upon
their crude instruments the pas.
Sages demanded. The makers of
Wind instruments worked hard to
Wercome the mechanical Difficult
les Of these instruments.
The instrument makers even
made instruments Of advanced de.
sign that the performers would
not accept because it would re-
quire too much work to learn the
lingering.
The orcheStras with which
Haydn and Mozart worked had
about 35 players divided among
the flutes, oboes, clarinets, bas-
soonS, horns, trumpetS, trombones,
percussion and> strings. In 1854,
the Dresden Opera Orchestra con-
sisted of eight first violinS, seven
second violins, four violas, three
cellos, three bass viols, two flutes,
five oboeS, five bassoons, two
horns, three trumpetS, and three
tympani.
In celebration Of the Handel
Commemoration Festival in West
minister Abbey in 1884, there were
48 first violinS. a. second violins,
26 violaS, 81 celloS, Is string
BASES, flutes, 26 oboes, 26
bassoonS, / double baSsoon, IL
horns, tromboneS and 4 pair
Of drums.
The brass instruments Of the
time Of Mozart and Beethoven
were little better than ordinary
bugleS. With the use Of several
slides, the instruments could be
changed in pitch, but only the
harmonics or bugle tones were
possible in each key.
Considering these limitations
on the performance Of the brass
instruments, it is a wonder that
these composers even considered
the use Of such instruments in
their scores. However, this limi-
tation explains the prevailing use
Of bugle tones which predominant
in brass instrument parts. The
use Of bugle tones in the braSSeS
may be especially noticed to-
morrow Afternoon when the Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra plays
Beethoven'S "Eroica" Symphony
No. 3.
When composers were agreed
upon the instruments to be used
in the standard orchestra, the
instrument makers set to work
with renewed vigor to design and
improve the instruments Of the
woodwind and brass families. Grad
ually new players trained upon
the newer forms Of instruments
were available and the material
was at hand for the modern
orchestra.
Meyerbeer experimental in the
field Of exploring the tonal colorS
Of the orchestra to be followed
in this field by Berlioz and Wag-
ner. Modern orchestration may
be said to date from the writing
Of the Symphonic Fantashque," "
by Berlioz. In the first 63 meas
ures Of the first movement Of this
work there are more expression
marks than in whole symphony
by Mozart.
Berlioz was responsible for the
addition of the alto and bass
clarinet, and the English horn.
Whereas the parts for the wood
winds were previously written in
a most limited range, BerlioZ ex-
tended the useful range Of these
instruments with additional tonal
color not heard before.
Wagner was not far behind
Berlioz in searching for new ef-
fects. When he was unable to
find the desired effect, he rede-
signed an instrument such as the
Bayreuth tuba for example. Wag-
ner has never been surpassed in
the brilliance, variety and orcheS-
tral color.
Contemporary with Wagner was
the development of the Russian
School, evolved more by instinct
than by following the forms Of
European music. Glinka founded
the Russian style, followed by Ba-
1akirev, Cui, MoussorgSky, Boro-
din and RimSky- KorSakow. Tschai-
kowsky, in expressing the Russian
temperament in European musi-
cal terms became the connecting
link between the Russian and
European ideas.
Richard Strauss In 1895 called
for greater technic and added in
StrumentS in "TilI EulenSpiegel." !"
But some of his extra" instru-
mentS still remain in the same
! class today.