A modern full-scale symphony orchestra consists of approximately one hundred permanent musicians, most often distributed as follows: 16–18 1st violins, 16 2nd violins, 12 violas, 12 cellos, 8 double basses, 4 flutes (one with piccolo as a specialty), 4 oboes (one with English horn as a specialty), 4 clarinets (one with ...
Classical era
You now know that the four families of the orchestra are the string, woodwind, brass and percussion families.
Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith; April 9, 1887 – June 3, 1953) was an American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra.Occupation: ; ; ; ...Died: June 3, 1953 (aged 66); , ...Born: Florence Beatrice Smith; April 9, 1887; Li...Children: 3
Conductors need, at the minimum, a bachelor's degree in arts (BA), although many professional positions require a master's (MA). Fortunately, there are a variety of music majors and minors to choose from, including conducting, in a number of universities.
Orchestras play a wide range of repertoire, including symphonies, opera and ballet overtures, concertos for solo instruments, and as pit ensembles for operas, ballets, and some types of musical theatre (e.g., Gilbert and Sullivan operettas).
Violins are well-suited to playing melody, making them one of the most important instruments in the orchestra. Firstly, they are the highest string instrument, so their bright tone rises above the rest of the string section. Secondly, they are played with a bow, unlike woodwind or brass instrument which rely on air.
An orchestra tunes itself to a very particular frequency, usually 440 hertz, a note known as A 440. The note is played by the oboist, and the rest of the orchestra tunes their instruments to match it. The oboe leads the tuning because of all the instruments, it is least affected by humidity or other weather conditions.
Three distinct types of orchestra--symphony, chamber and string--expose audiences around the world to new cultural and musical experiences each year.
It is held under the chin and rests on the player's left shoulder. It can be played standing or sitting. Usually a soloist will stand, and violinists in an orchestra will sit. The violin often carries the melody in an orchestral work as its brilliant sound carries easily over many of the other instruments.
The heart of the Classical orchestra was the string family.
Orchestra: The orchestra (literally, "dancing space") was normally circular. It was a level space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene. ... The orchestra of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was about 60 feet in diameter.
Oboe
Michael Tilson Thomas
Sleigh bells or jingles bells are a type of bell that produces a distinctive jingle sound. They are in the percussion family of instruments.
A symphony orchestra and a philharmonic are the same thing - sort of. They're the same size and they play the same kind of music. ... “Symphony orchestra” is a generic term, whereas “philharmonic orchestra” is always part of a proper name.
An orchestra tunes itself to a very particular frequency, usually 440 hertz, a note known as A 440. The note is played by the oboist, and the rest of the orchestra tunes their instruments to match it. The oboe leads the tuning because of all the instruments, it is least affected by humidity or other weather conditions.
The oboe
Concerto: A musical work for solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra.
A full-scale orchestra playing a symphony includes at least 90 musicians, while a smaller orchestra playing a chamber piece ranges from 15 to 45. Sections of the orchestra can perform separately? a string orchestra, for example, includes about 60 musicians.
The word orchestra comes from the actual space in which an orchestra plays; the Greek orkhestra means "a space where a chorus of dancers performs," from orkheisthai, "to dance."
Instruments of the Orchestra
Related instruments
When we think of the 'traditional' layout of an orchestra, we think of the violins directly to the left of the conductor and the violas in the centre, with the woodwind and then the percussion behind them. ... In fact, the second violins used to be seated opposite the first violins, where the cellos normally are.
In a symphony orchestra, the horn section is the group of symphonic musicians who play the French horn (or German horn or Vienna horn). These musicians are typically seated to the back of the ensemble and may be on either side at the director's discretion.