Cantata: term applied to a 17th-18th- century multi-movement non-theatrical and non-liturgical vocal genre; subsequently used to describe large-scale vocal works in the same spirit, generally for soloists, chorus and orchestra; may also be for solo voice and accompaniment.
The orthodoxy is that the conductor uses his or her right hand to hold a baton (if used – some prefer just to use their hands) and set the tempo, control it thereafter, signify the beginning of a new bar and deal with other matters of timing that help keep an ensemble of sometimes over a hundred individuals together.
Instruments of the OrchestraString family. Violin. Viola [vee-OH-lah] Cello (violoncello) [CHEL-low] ... Woodwind family. Flute, Piccolo. Oboe, English horn. Clarinet, Bass clarinet. ... Brass family. Trumpet. Horn (French horn) Trombone. ... Keyboards and Harp. Celesta [cheh-LESS-tah] Piano. Harpsichord.
Concerto
A choir is a group of voices. By analogy, sometimes a group of similar instruments in a symphony orchestra are referred to as a choir.
The xylophone is a popular solo instrument as well as being used in symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and film scores. Xylophones are noted for their bright and penetrating sound.
The Boston Pops is made up of all the members of the Boston Symphony EXCEPT for the first chairs. The first chairs tour as the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. ... The BPEO is the branch of the Pops that tours; while the BSO's Boston Pops orchestra plays all the Pops concerts at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood in the summer.
An Intro To String Instruments: The Heart Of The Orchestra. Lyrical and bouncy; sharp and mellow; sweet, plaintive and joyous: Strings can beautifully convey each of these, and this is why they are the heart of any orchestra.
The easiest way to sort this out is to remember that orchestras evolved as acoustic ensembles. Without electronic enhancement, the rule of thumb is: quieter instruments towards the front, louder instruments towards the back.
3 trombones
Orchestras Typically Boast Five Different Types of String Instruments. Most orchestras rely on five different types of string instruments to produce the majority of their works.
The Duke's jazz was innovative with arrangements that featured his piano playing against a rich, deep sound played by the brilliant musicians that he always had in his orchestra. Over five hundred of the best jazz musicians in the world passed through his ranks; rarely was anyone fired because he hired the best.
The typical symphony orchestra consists of four groups of related musical instruments called the woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings (violin, viola, cello, and double bass).
Someone writing in The New York Times would refer to the Big Five American orchestras: the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Orchestras are usually led by a conductor who directs the performance with movements of the hands and arms, often made easier for the musicians to see by use of a conductor's baton. ... The leader of the first violin section – commonly called the concertmaster – also plays an important role in leading the musicians.
This family of instruments can play louder than any other in the orchestra and can also be heard from far away. ... Like the woodwind family, brass players use their breath to produce sound, but instead of blowing into a reed, you vibrate your own lips by buzzing them against a metal cup-shaped mouthpiece.
Different kinds of music require different types of tempo control—rock and pop music follows the percussionist—generally the drummer. Orchestras rely on a maestro with a baton to maintain a steady pace. ... For one quartet, three players varied their tempo to match the fourth, who never varied hers.
The simplest answer is to say that usually the second violins play a supportive role harmonically and rhythmically to the first violins which often play the melody and the highest line of the string section.
If your performance space has an orchestra pit, and no orchestra lift, you can cover the pit using a pit filler or pit cover. The difference between the two is a filler can have the ability to adjust its height by simply moving the legs to the desired height.
That responsibility alone makes the Conductor/Music Director the most important person in any orchestra.