Book Review
Jan. 30th, 2020 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Cambridge Companion to the Orchestra
edited by Colin Lawson
This volume covers many aspects of the orchestra and its music, from history to repertory to the training and lives of its players. Published in 2003, its only drawback is that it is permeated with a particular sense of anxiety about the future of the orchestra in a changing world. While this is still an important issue, the discussions here feel a bit dated and occasionally overblown given that it is 17 years later and the orchestra is still with us. All of the chapters are well-written, informative, and engaging. The section on notation was really more of a guide to score-reading, which I found very useful as it's been a while since I had to do any in-depth study of orchestra scores. The sections on international case studies and recording the orchestra were also quite fascinating in the way they shed light on lesser-known aspects of orchestral activities. I especially liked the inclusion of the chapters on the training and life of the player, as they were very interesting.
edited by Colin Lawson
This volume covers many aspects of the orchestra and its music, from history to repertory to the training and lives of its players. Published in 2003, its only drawback is that it is permeated with a particular sense of anxiety about the future of the orchestra in a changing world. While this is still an important issue, the discussions here feel a bit dated and occasionally overblown given that it is 17 years later and the orchestra is still with us. All of the chapters are well-written, informative, and engaging. The section on notation was really more of a guide to score-reading, which I found very useful as it's been a while since I had to do any in-depth study of orchestra scores. The sections on international case studies and recording the orchestra were also quite fascinating in the way they shed light on lesser-known aspects of orchestral activities. I especially liked the inclusion of the chapters on the training and life of the player, as they were very interesting.
