There are perhaps a thousand bars in my Requiem. With my back to his, I was watching the group of timpani players, which he could not see, as the moment approached when they were to take part in the general mêlée. "Because of my habitual suspicion, I had posted myself behind Habeneck. Berlioz made two revisions to the work over the years, the final one in 1867. In the premiere of the work, over 400 singers and instrumentalists participated, but Berlioz encouraged the use of even more performers if they could be utilized and suggested that all parts should be adjusted accordingly. Twenty brass instruments are called for, plus another 38 brass instruments divided into 4 brass choirs, with one placed on the four corners of the stage. All the other sections of the orchestra show the same use of large forces, especially the brass. In the score he called for over 100 stringed instruments alone. Berlioz had already shown his proclivity for using large forces in his Symphonie Fantastique of 1830, but he went even further with the orchestration of his Requiem. Berlioz uses a huge complement of instruments and makes great demands of the entire ensemble. Older versions of these instruments could be notoriously difficult to keep in tune and play. Berlioz's Requiem reflects the contemporary improvements of intonation and mechanics of the woodwind and brass.
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