Instrumentation notes: -The choice of accompanimental instruments is not fixed, but should consist of contrasting sound qualities to the horn.
The performing edition comes with several transpositions for various groups of instruments. A particularly nice accompaniment would consist of an English horn on the treble line with a single stand of two cellos on the bass line(s), a double bass (or two) for the contrabass line (in a pinch this lineup could be done with a single cello).
Other possibilities, including mixed combinations are also wholly acceptable
as long as the drone lines are sustained and they are balanced dynamically, i.e.:
- Piano Solo -
- Synthesizer Solo -
- Trumpet on treble line with organ -
- Ondes Martenot on treble line with harp-
- Trumpet on the treble line with 2 cellos & double bass -
- Violin on treble line with TTBB chorus singing on neutral vowels -
- Clarinet on treble line with 2 baritone and 2 bass saxes and string bass -
- Vibraphone on the treble line with marimba (bowed or not, or mixed) and timpani -
- Piano on treble line, doubled two or three octaves below, with organ -
- Oboe on treble line with 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 bass clarinets -
- Electric guitar on treble line with accordion or bandoneon -
- Alto trombone on treble line with trombone choir -
- Piano or harp with double bass -
- Clarinet Choir -
- Organ Solo -
If using a piano, harp, bass marimba, timpani, etc. for the bass and contrabass lines, a soft, slowly
accelerating tremolando is suggested at least at the beginning of each phrase, and more often if
necessary to re-establish and replenish the drone. With these instruments it also may be more effective to
play the bass voice down an octave, occasionally adding the tenor octave into the mix for relief. Use
your judgment and perform this music with the instruments available to you, just sustain the drones.