# Who are 5 of your top 10 favorite orchestrators?



## Guy Bacos (Feb 21, 2011)

Among all composers, in no particular order, which are 5 of your top 10 orchestrators?

Mine:

Ravel
Richard Strauss
Shostakovitch 
Rimsky-Korsakov
Respighi


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## chimuelo (Feb 21, 2011)

Wagner
Ravel 
Debussey
Chopin
Gershwin


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## Guy Bacos (Feb 21, 2011)

Chopin? I wish you would elaborate on that. I have no problem with Chopin's orchestration, in fact I think it's perfect for his very pianistic style, never in the way, but others might think this is a joke.


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## ontrackmusic (Feb 21, 2011)

Ravel
Mahler
Stravinsky

(and for pop flare)
Herb Spencer
George Martin

:wink:


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## synergy543 (Feb 21, 2011)

deleted


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## IvanP (Feb 22, 2011)

Ravel
Stravinsky 
Debussy
Respighi 
Rachmaninov

Runners: Tchaikovsky, R.Strauss, Lutoslawski, Shostakovich, Holst, Vaughan Williams, Britten and A. Berg  oh boy there are so many...


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## Stephen Rees (Feb 22, 2011)

Most of my top 10 favourites have already been mentioned, so I'll add two that haven't featured yet - Anton Webern and Toru Takemitsu.


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## chimuelo (Feb 22, 2011)

Chopin did some great stuff for Orchestra like variations on La ci darem, from Mozart's Don Giovanni, for piano & orchestra in B flat major.

My Grandmother took me to see Victor Borga when I was a kid where he played this along with his talented players. I still hear it.

Anyways, the fact he wrote such excellent Piano works, is what kept him from Orchestrating more.
The same way some folks are so busy making money performing, they dont get around to Orchestrating and composing until later in life.


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## Guy Bacos (Feb 22, 2011)

Wow! This is the first time ever I hear something good about Chopin's orchestration. I don't know why he constantly get a bad rap about his orchestration. Like he couldn't orchestrate himself out of a shoe box.


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## david robinson (Feb 22, 2011)

no particular order:

Penderecki
Morricone
Stravinsky
Wagner
Webern

cheers,
j.


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## chimuelo (Feb 22, 2011)

I can see less skilled Pianists that were good Orchestrators, enjoying the chance to find flaws. He often was criticized about his placement of Contra Bass notes clashing with low Piano notes. 
Brooks & Dunn are a Country Western act that has their Pianist and Bass Player playing the exact lines together and some will say this is " unprofessional &quò “   ×7 “   ×8 “   ×9 “   ×: “   ×; “   ×< “   ×= “   ×> “   ×? “   ×@ “   ×A “   ×B “   ×C “   ×D “   ×E “   ×F “   ×G “   ×H “   ×I “   ×J “   ×K “   ×L “   Mã “   Mä “   Må “   Mæ “   Mç “   Mè “   Mé “   Mê “   Më “   Mì “   Mí “


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## dcoscina (Feb 22, 2011)

Mahler
Prokofiev
Stravinsky
Rimsky Korsakov
Debussy


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## Pzy-Clone (Feb 22, 2011)

In no perticular order:

Berlioz
Prokofiev
Mahler
Wagner
Shostakovitch

I guess the only 2 constants on my list would be Berlioz and Prokofiev, the rest come and go.


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## Ashermusic (Feb 22, 2011)

There are a lot of fine choices, but I simply cannot understand how anyone could leave Ravel out of their top 5 unless one is not a fan of classic Hollywood orchestration. He is quite simply the progenitor of it.

If push comes to shove, I will go with Ravel, Berlioz, Ives, Holst, and Tchaikovsky.


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## stonzthro (Feb 22, 2011)

Ives - that's an interesting choice for sure.

Ravel
Beriloz
Stravinsky
R. Strauss
#5 is tough because his orchestrations aren't ground breaking but they fit his compositions so well and really inspire me - Vaughan Williams


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## Guy Bacos (Feb 22, 2011)

stonzthro @ Tue Feb 22 said:


> Ives - that's an interesting choice for sure.
> 
> Ravel
> Beriloz
> ...



R Strauss is actually quite ground breaking. He brought a new grand dimension to the orchestra and was really the first to successfully unite it all as never before, and in certain regards he can be considered the greatest orchestrator ever.


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## David Story (Feb 22, 2011)

Stravinsky
Ravel
Goldsmith
Ligeti
Respighi

Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Beethoven, Mozart, Gabrieli all made huge, lasting contributions.


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## Ashermusic (Feb 22, 2011)

Guy Bacos @ Tue Feb 22 said:


> stonzthro @ Tue Feb 22 said:
> 
> 
> > Ives - that's an interesting choice for sure.
> ...



Yes, now that I think about it I would replace Holst with Strauss. Certainly Herbert Spencer listened to him.


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## Lunatique (Feb 23, 2011)

Ravel
Debussy
Prokofiev
Goldsmith
Haneda Kentaro


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