Composers who write well for instruments

[zamyrabyrd]

On a televised lecture about the Pathetique Symphony quite a few years ago, Andre Previn said that Tschaikovsky always wrote interesting figurations for the players that were a "joy to play" (exact words, or something close.) I thought it might be interesting to explore those composers who wrote well for a goodly number of instruments or some, or wrote well for some and rather indifferent for others.
Someone reported here or in the old GMG that Rachmaninoff wrote zillions of notes for the violin that were difficult to learn and play.

Instrumentalists who play in orchestras surely have something to share about this subject.

ZB

[greg]

Someone reported here or in the old GMG that Rachmaninoff wrote zillions of notes for the violin that were difficult to learn and play.

even more true for Strauss....
but i remember someone else saying that Rachmaninov wrote zillions of notes that often couldn't be heard.... i haven't noticed too much of that when following his scores, but i think i have noticed some of it

[BachQ]

Prokofiev wrote well for the castanet .......
Wagner wrote well for the Wagner Tuba .......

[karlhenning]

Prokofiev wrote well for the castanet .......

Mandolino, mon vieux!

[zamyrabyrd]

Liszt also contributed to triangle literature. (Concerto for Piano in Eb)

ZB

[Renfield]

Liszt also contributed to triangle literature. (Concerto for Piano in Eb)

ZB

Triangle-ists rejoice.

[karlhenning]

Liszt and Schoenberg are as gods unto harmoniumists.

[zamyrabyrd]

Liszt and Schoenberg are as gods unto harmoniumists.

Really? Where?

[zamyrabyrd]

Triangle-ists rejoice.

Did anyone see the masterclass where Bernstein is trying to teach a student the proper place on the triangle to "ting" it? (He gave up in the end.)

ZB

[greg]

Messiaen wrote well for the ondes martenot...

[rappy]

Chopin wrote well for the piano I think.

[hornteacher]

Dvorak always wrote great inner voice parts.  I think it has to do with his experience as a violist.  As a result his clarinet, horn, and viola parts are always very nice.

[zamyrabyrd]

Dvorak always wrote great inner voice parts.  I think it has to do with his experience as a violist.  As a result his clarinet, horn, and viola parts are always very nice.

Yeah, that's what I would like to hear, some inside information about how instrumentalists feel about what's handed to them to play. I heard it's not a lot of fun for doublebass and 'cello players to play eternally repeating bass notes in operas.

ZB

[Bonehelm]

Mahler wrote a lot of stuff that can be classified as ''a joy to play'', especially when you're a percussionist. Timpani and gongs!

[hornteacher]

Yeah, that's what I would like to hear, some inside information about how instrumentalists feel about what's handed to them to play. I heard it's not a lot of fun for doublebass and 'cello players to play eternally repeating bass notes in operas.

ZB

Well, a a hornist, I'm partial to Beethoven (who wrote very well for the valveless horn), Dvorak (who was great at creating tone color), and Copland (who wrote passages that could go from gorgeous to powerful in one measure).

[greg]

scarlatti wrote well for the harpsichord
bach wrote well for the harpsichord
berio wrote interesting for the voice
cage wrote well for the prepared piano
penderecki wrote well for railroad track
xenakis wrote well for the strings
ligeti wrote well for the metronome
respighi wrote well for the recorded bird voices
saariaho wrote well for the computer

[Anne]

I like Mahler (landler in Sym 2), Rimsky-Korsakov (the celebratory bells from coronation in Boris Godunov), Wagner (beginning of act 1 the storm from Die Walkure), and Berlioz (Requiem).  These are just examples.

[Maciek]

penderecki wrote well for railroad track

for saw, and for siren too!

stockhausen writes great for the helicopter

(I know, I'm not a musician, I should stay out of this thread. But Greg provoked me! )

[greg]

for saw, and for siren too!

stockhausen writes great for the helicopter

(I know, I'm not a musician, I should stay out of this thread. But Greg provoked me! )

hahaha saw and siren especially, i was going to mention that, but it would just ruin the flow of my post

[BachQ]

go from gorgeous to powerful in one measure).

Is there any mutual exclusivity between "gorgeous" and "powerful"?