Hugh Macdonald is Avis Blewett Professor of Music at Washington University, St Louis. He has been General Editor of the New Berlioz Edition since its inception in 1967. He has edited The Selected Letters of Berlioz (1995) and Volumes IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII of the Berlioz Correspondance générale (1992– ). He is also author of Skryabin (1978) and Berlioz (1982).

• List of illustrations; Preface; A note on the edition; A note on the translation; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; The Treatise; Introduction; 1. Bowed strings; 2. Plucked strings; 3. Strings with keyboard; 4. Wind: introduction; 5. Wind with reeds; 6. Wind without reeds; 7. Wind with keyboard; 8. Brass with mouthpiece; 9. Woodwind with mouthpiece; 10. Voices; 11. Pitched percussion; 12. Unpitched percussion; 13. New instruments; 14. The orchestra; 15. The conductor and his art; Appendix: Berlioz's writing on instruments; Bibliography; General index; Index of Berlioz's works.

"When I received the book, I confidently expected a good modern translation of this seminal work on orchestration and an informative commentary. My expectations were exceeded in both respects. A better translation and commentary than the present one can scarcely be imagined. Indeed, as far as commentary is concerned, this book is an essential reference tool for scholars of every nationality and for all performers of Berlioz's music." Journal of Musicological Research