A Symphony Orchestra is defined as a large ensemble composed of wind, string, brass and percussion instruments and organized to perform classical music. Wind instruments include flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoons. String instruments include harp, violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
The primary difference between orchestra and chamber music is the number of players. In chamber music, there is generally one player per part while a full orchestra doubles up sections to add volume (especially in the string sections). I've had the pleasure of playing both kinds.
The strings sit at the front of the stage in a fan-shape in front of the conductor. The first violins are on the conductor's left, then come the second violins, then the violas and then the cellos. The double basses are behind the cellos.
An orchestra, at least in Western culture, usually has a fairly specific selection of instruments from which the orchestra is comprised ("orchestral instruments"). In contrast, an ensemble can be any collection of instruments, voices, dancers. An orchestra is always an ensemble, but not all ensembles are orchestras.
And when a classical orchestra gathers on stage, the strings are at the front, followed by woodwinds, brass, and then percussion.
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
A symphony is a large-scale musical composition, usually with three or four movements. An orchestra is a group of musicians with a variety of instruments, which usually includes the violin family.
There are several flutes in common use in the orchestra: the C flute, the piccolo, the alto flute (in G) and sometimes the bass flute. Old flutes were made of wood, but most modern flutes are metal.
The Electric Light Orchestra
Concertmaster
Wind and brass instruments have a directional sound that naturally projects, so they are still audible from the back of the stage (usually on risers so that their sound travels over the heads of the other musicians without them having to strain to be heard).
The path to obtaining a job in an orchestra is somewhat straightforward. First, you nearly always have to attend a great music school, at least at the Master's degree level. It is true that some undergraduates can go straight into an orchestral position, but it is rare.
Percussion is, by its very nature, L O U D if you are close to it. Putting it at the back of an orchestra does two things. It allows a bit of space which mellows the sound, and second puts a lot of soft sound absorbers (other members of the orchestra) between the player and the audience.
People have been putting instruments together in various combinations for millennia, but it wasn't un- til about 400 years ago that musicians started forming combinations that would eventually turn into the modern orchestra. Around 1600 in Italy, the composer Claudio Monteverdi changed that.
With his twin granddaughters and Pierre | Andre rieu, Andre, Orchestras.
The double bass is the biggest and lowest pitched instrument in the string family. The deep, very low sounds of the double bass are often used to help hold together the harmonies and to help carry the rhythm. There are 6-8 double basses in an orchestra.
How much does a harp cost? The average price of a lever harp is between $2,500 to $5,000 while a full size pedal harp is $15,000 to $20,000.
A sonata can be played by an orchestra or just one instrument, like a piano. ... Beethoven and Mozart famously composed sonatas for the piano, and modern composers continue to write sonatas for many different instruments.
Most importantly a conductor serves as a messenger for the composer. It is their responsibility to understand the music and convey it through gesture so transparently that the musicians in the orchestra understand it perfectly. Those musicians can then transmit a unified vision of the music out to the audience.