Universe Symphony (Ives) - Instrumentation

Instrumentation

The score calls for a very odd instrumentation of the following:

• woodwinds: 9 flutes (2 doubling piccolo, 1 doubling wooden flute), 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 5 bassoons (2 doubling contrabassoon)

• brass: 5 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones, 2 tubas

• keyboards: piano/celeste, organ

• strings: harp, 8 violins, 5 violas, 4 cellos, 3 double basses

• percussion: 12 percussionist (low bell, bass drum/cymbal, low gong, bass drum, timpani, triangle, high gong, log drum, piccolo tympani, Indian drum, snare drum, 2 kinds of metal pipe, high brittle wood, medium small xylophone, clay pipes, different sizes of wood blocks and boards, low xylophone, large tambourine, small triangle, wood block, high bell, suspended cymbal, glasses, drum rims, small steel bars, castenets, marble slab)