Post by fuguestate on Sept 23, 2017 14:09:00 GMT
Quick note re: doubling of cello/bass: well, actually this also applies to doubling elsewhere too. It's generally okay for one of the instruments to jump up/down an octave to be in unison with the other, if doing otherwise would put it out of range. As already mentioned, this is well-attested in the literature. The main consideration is to make sure the line is heard as intended, i.e, the audience should not "hear" the change in octave (other than a slight shift in timbral color). Usually this is not a problem if the other instrument is in its optimal range, but it's something to keep in mind.
A standard textbook example is an excerpt from Mozart of a melody that spans several octaves, with the entire orchestra playing in unison/octave doublings. Obviously, very few instruments have a range spanning the entire melody, so practically all of them leap an octave at some point (or even drop out/reenter) in order to stay in their optimal register. But the balance of instruments is carefully chosen so that in spite of the leaps, the audience still perceives the melody as intended. This is a standard trick in orchestral writing.
Another example is Beethoven's 9th symphony, in the introductory passage when the D minor theme is first stated in full.
A standard textbook example is an excerpt from Mozart of a melody that spans several octaves, with the entire orchestra playing in unison/octave doublings. Obviously, very few instruments have a range spanning the entire melody, so practically all of them leap an octave at some point (or even drop out/reenter) in order to stay in their optimal register. But the balance of instruments is carefully chosen so that in spite of the leaps, the audience still perceives the melody as intended. This is a standard trick in orchestral writing.
Another example is Beethoven's 9th symphony, in the introductory passage when the D minor theme is first stated in full.
