ANBAND Knowledge Base

In time, the recorder was replaced in the orchestra by woodwind instruments that were newer or being enhanced, such as the oboe and flute. Our contemporary interest in historically informed performance has returned the recorder to the concert stage.

Each instrument has unique characteristics, such as the different ways they produce a sound, the materials used to create them, and their overall appearance. These characteristics ultimately divide instruments into four families: woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.

Generally, the Baroque orchestra had five sections of instruments: woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, and harpsichord. The strings or harpsichord almost always carried the melody, with brass and woodwinds providing the harmonies.

Maurice Ravel

Hammer Violin