Orchestration for the theatre cover

Orchestration for the theatre

by Francis Collinson

Collinson's "orchestration for the Theatre" holds a very unique place in the pantheon of orchestration books, in that it applies specifically to application of orchestration to early 20th century operetta and music theatre. As it was written in 1941, the book addresses both "straight" orchestration and "dance" orchestration in a very insightful way, offering examples of passages scored in both styles for the student to examine. Collinson's dry humor pervades the book, making it an enjoyable read, as much as an orchestration book can be enjoyable to read. Mostly, the reader is impressed with Collinson's deft handling of the topic, no doubt the result of having enjoyed a busy career both as a conductor and orchestrater in the British musical theatre scene.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?