Great orchestrators

[Alan Howe]

Yes, that's a very pertinent observation with regard to Clementi, Eric.

[chill319]

Thanks for the information and insight, Eric. As one who once worked his way through much of Gradus ad Parnassum, I was taken aback when I first heard Clementi's late symphonies by how orchestrally secure they are. Much as I love Schubert, I wouldn't say his earlier symphonies, 6 for example, surpass these.

[eschiss1]

Oh, I quite like some (not a few!) of his piano works and trios, I wasn't trying to tear him down, at that.

[M. Yaskovsky]

Stokowski!
Ravel!
Henry Wood!
Gordon Jacob!
Charles Koechlin?

[Alan Howe]

Stokowski!
Ravel!
Henry Wood!
Gordon Jacob!
Charles Koechlin?

Czemu? Pourquoi? Why?

[Dave]

Julius Rontgen always sounds fresh and invigorating. Big bold sound when needed.
Balakirev was no slouch: Tamar and the first symphony are marvelously orchestrated.
Glazunov was brilliant - the scherzos of almost every symphony, but his orchestral wizardry is nowhere more apparent than in The Sea
Recent outings of Widor's music shows a musical mind at home as much with the orchestra as the organ.
Is Schoenberg unsung? I'm not sure, but his Pelleas und Melisande never fails to astonish me and the extraordinarily complex orchestral sound. The score is mind boggling.
Right up there with the Schoenberg is Franz Schmidt's 2nd symphony. Over the top orchestration that goes beyond Mahler and Bruckner.

I agree re. Glazunov and Balakirev. I would add Atterberg and Alfven in the mix. And Wagner reigns supreme also.

[Alan Howe]

Any reasons, please?

[minacciosa]

John Alden Carpenter rates as a great orchestrator. Listen to Skyscrapers, or the Symphony No.2. The latter is especially resourceful. There are many other examples of his greatness in this area, but unfortunately there are no commercial recordings of some works as yet. What I know f these is gleaned from scores in my collection.

[LateRomantic75]

I would add Atterberg-try his magnificent Symphony no. 3 and you'll see what I mean. Very imaginative and colorful use of woodwinds in particular. Also, Schreker (whom I largely prefer to R. Strauss) had a knack for lushly decadent orchestration.

[minacciosa]

I would add Atterberg-try his magnificent Symphony no. 3 and you'll see what I mean. Very imaginative and colorful use of woodwinds in particular. Also, Schreker (whom I largely prefer to R. Strauss) had a knack for lushly decadent orchestration.

It's difficult and completely subjective to say who is the greatest among the great in this regard, but I would say that Schreker along with Zemlinsky, Ravel, Respighi, Strauss and Korngold are in a class by themselves.

[eschiss1]

By no means completely subjective.   Berlioz and Strauss, who were pretty good at orchestration, had some things to write on the subject (as did others) by way of practical advice - which one cannot do, take my word for it (and I mean cannot) if a subject has absolutely nothing objective about it at all (even though much, even very, very much, about it may be subjective.)

(Ah, I see I misread and mistook your statement a bit, but "who is the greatest of them all" isn't subjective, just unanswerable. Always conceivably someone you haven't even heard yet... also, one risks trying to edge out someone else who's looking in that Magic Mirror... er... sorry, wrong Grimm Legend...)