The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra was conceived by Britten as a score for a 1946 documentary film, Instruments of the Orchestra, and it was presented in that medium in London. Soon it was appropriated for the concert hall by symphony orchestras for performance, often with spoken commentary.
Orchestra Chairs The most skilled musician sits in the first chair of each section and plays any solo parts for that instrument. The next most skilled player would sit in the second chair and the least skilled musician would sit in the last chair of his or her section.
Improve Your Orchestral Playing, Even from the Back of the...Learn to Multitask. Sitting at or near the back of the strings requires an intense concentration that has to be focused in many different directions. ... Follow the Conductor. ... Bowing Tips. ... Follow the Leader. ... Leading from the Back.
In general, the first violinist, or the concertmaster, carries the tune or the melody of a particular piece of music, while the second violinist plays the harmony. In a professional orchestra, the position of first violinist is usually paid more than other members of the orchestra.
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The word derives from the ancient Greek part of a stage where instruments and the chorus combined music and drama to create theater. The first semblance of a modern orchestra came in the early 17th century when the Italian opera composer Claudio Monteverdi formally assigned specific instruments to perform his music.
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The concertmaster sits to the conductor's left, closest to the audience, in what is called the "first chair," "first [music] stand" or outside of the US "first desk." The concertmaster makes decisions regarding bowing and other technical details of violin playing for the violins, and sometimes all of the string players ...
Engineers use a wide variety of techniques when recording orchestras or small ensembles, from simply placing one stereo microphone just above and behind the conductor's head to using several spot mics for each instrument section in conjunction with one to several ambient microphones.
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 ...
Conductors act as guides to the orchestras or choirs they conduct. They choose the works to be performed and study their scores, to which they may make certain adjustments (such as in tempo, articulation, phrasing, repetitions of sections), work out their interpretation, and relay their vision to the performers.
The most frequently performed repertoire for a symphony orchestra is Western classical music or opera. However, orchestras are used sometimes in popular music (e.g., to accompany a rock or pop band in a concert), extensively in film music, and increasingly often in videogame music.
A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network.
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. ... Secondly, study with a teacher who either has experience playing in an orchestra OR has had students get placed in an orchestra.
The main change is the in orchestral size and power - the abandonment of a harpsichord continuo (baroque) to provide continuity and hold together - through to a conductor on a podium …
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9 epic orchestral arranging tipsListen carefully. Chances are that you got into making music with technology because you fell in love with the sound of a particular instrument or record. ... Stock up on sounds. ... Work logically. ... Mix things up. ... Think outside the box. ... Don't overdo it. ... Explore your options. ... Creating depth.
How much you can make as a classical musician varies wildly. According to the American Federation of Musicians or AFM, Toronto branch, hourly rates for orchestral musicians start at $106 for the leader and $53 per hour for what they call side players, with a three-hour minimum. That's scale for a freelance gig.
Cadenza: A point near the end of a movement in a work such as a concerto where the orchestra will stop playing and the soloist will perform an elaborate passage showing his or her virtuosity on the instrument.
4 Leadership Lessons Learned From Orchestra ConductorsHave a clear vision. An orchestra conductor has a clear vision for each piece of music, both tangible and intangible. ... Establish roles and responsibilities. ... Provide coaching and feedback. ... Lead from the front and be visible.