A frequently asked question: "What's the difference between an orchestration and a reduction?" ORCHESTRATIONS require special skill in adapting the music for instrumentation and mostly new music. As the orchestrator, I am listening to a piano part or looking at the piano-vocal score and I build/expand the sound to give more instrumental color to the piece of music.
REDUCTIONS are taking existing orchestrations, and scaling them down to fit the theatre company's budget, production, space(the actual location where the musicians play in the theater), and performance venue. Many theatre companies cannot afford or fit the full orchestration to titles including My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Into The Woods, Guys and Dolls, and Ragtime, etc, which requires many instruments. Sometimes it can even be a 12-piece or a 9-piece, and that is still too large or too much money for that particular production and theatre company.
When reducing an orchestration, my job is to honor both the composer and the original orchestrations. I do not "arrange", "alter", "fix", or "create" new orchestrations. I simply make the written orchestration work for that size orchestra; making a 7-piece sound like a 15-piece or a 9-piece sound like a 20-piece, etc. For more information about reduced orchestrations and rates, please Contact me.
Please check out my work previous reduced orchestrations!
She Loves Me (6-piece)
Playmakers REP Music Director: Mark Hartman Orchestration: Reed, Violin, Cello, Keyboard, Piano, Percussion
Oklahoma! (13-piece)
North Shore Music Theatre Music Director: Mark Hartman Orchestration: Flute, Clarinet I & II, Horn, Trumpet I & II, Trombone, Keyboard (covers Oboe, Horn II, Bassoon and additional strings), Harp, Violin, Cello, Bass, Percussion
My Fair Lady (12-piece)
Servant Stage Company Music Director: Kendra Bigley Orchestration: Piccolo/Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Keyboard, Violin I & II, Cello, Bass, Percussion
Ragtime (7-piece)
Playmakers REP Music Director: Mark Hartman Orchestration: Reed (Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone), French Horn, Violin, Piano, Keyboard, Double Bass, Drums/Percussion
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (9-piece)
Ephrata Performing Arts Center Orchestration: Reed I (Flute/Piccolo), Reed II (Clarinet/Bass Clarinet), Trumpet, Trombone, Keyboard, Violin, Cello, Bass, Percussion
PREVIOUS / IN-PROGRESS REDUCED ORCHESTRATIONS
1776 (8-piece)
Reed (Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
Trumpet
Trombone
Keyboard
Violin
Cello
Double Bass
Drums/Percussion
Annie (9-piece)
Reed I (Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone)
Reed II (Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet)