Orchestration in Musical Theatre

Orchestration in Musical Theatre offers an analytic and critical overview of the practice, execution, and effects of orchestration in musical theatre since the time that rock music became significant in the genre. Broadly described as the art of arranging a piece of music for a particular musical ensemble, orchestration is a specific skill that few composers or songwriters possess. This volume helps the reader understand and appreciate the art of orchestration and traces how the incorporation of rock and other types of popular music into scores for musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End fundamentally changed the genre''s sound. From discussions of specific instrumentation through to a brief history of the art, this book demystifies how different instrumentation contributes to a show''s soundscape. Featuring case studies from shows such as Hair, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Wicked , and Hamilton , this accessible and engaging volume in the Topics in Musical Theatre series gives students the tools to identify and discuss how orchestration contributes to the drama, characterization and dramaturgy of the modern musical.>

Préface
Provides a concise modern history of orchestration in musical theatre, including in-depth case studies which underscore how the process has evolved with the trends.

Auteur
Paul R. Laird is Professor of Musicology, University of Kansas . He has published widely on the American musical theatre, including co-editing three editions of The Cambridge Companion to the Musical with William A. Everett. One of his books also concerned orchestration: West Side Story, Gypsy, and the Art of Broadway Orchestration (Routledge, 2022).Elizabeth Sallinger is Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, University of Connecticut', US. Her research focuses on the Broadway music and orchestration, examining rock musicals in particular. She has presented on this and other topics in musical theatre at several conferences and contributed to Dueling Grounds: Revolution and Revelation in the Musical Hamilton, as well as several other works-in-progress.

Résumé
Orchestration in Musical Theatre offers an analytic and critical overview of the practice, execution, and effects of orchestration in musical theatre since the time that rock music became significant in the genre. Broadly described as the art of arranging a piece of music for a particular musical ensemble, orchestration is a specific skill that few composers or songwriters possess. This volume helps the reader understand and appreciate the art of orchestration and traces how the incorporation of rock and other types of popular music into scores for musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End fundamentally changed the genre's sound. From discussions of specific instrumentation through to a brief history of the art, this book demystifies how different instrumentation contributes to a show's soundscape. Featuring case studies from shows such as Hair, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Wicked, and Hamilton, this accessible and engaging volume in the Topics in Musical Theatre series gives students the tools to identify and discuss how orchestration contributes to the drama, characterization and dramaturgy of the modern musical.

Contenu
Overview: The Craft of Orchestration Since the Late 1960s Hair: Broadway Rocks The Phantom of the Opera: A Study in Tradition The Lion King: Exoticism on Broadway Wicked: Wrapping an Orchestra Around a Rock Band Hamilton: Broadway Raps Conclusion: Rapping It Up Glossary