About Orchestra

When you say the word “orchestra”, most people think of a Western orchestra that plays classical music. But there are other kinds of orchestras in different parts of the world. In Indonesia, the gamelan orchestra is made up of percussion instruments including drums, xylophones and gongs. In Russia, a balalaika orchestra includes many different sizes of balalaika.

The word orchestra was first used by the Ancient Greeks, nearly 3,000 years ago. They used the word to describe the area between the audience and the stage in a Greek theatre. This was where dancing and singing took place during the performance of a play. When opera began in Italy in the 17th century, the musicians sat in the area in front of the stage. Later, people began to use the word “orchestra” to describe the musicians themselves.

A Western orchestra is divided into four different sections made up of stringed, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The stringed instruments are violins, violas, cellos and double basses. The violins are split into first and second violins, and the two parts play different lines of music. In an average symphony orchestra there are usually about 20 first violins and 18 to 20 second violins, with about 14 violas, 12 cellos and 8 double basses. The violin can play the highest notes of all the stringed instruments, so the violins often play the tune.

The woodwind section is usually made up of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and two bassoons. Each player has a different line of music. Sometimes a composer writes lines of music for three of each instrument. The third player often has to switch between one instrument and another. For example, the third flute player often also plays a small, high-pitched flute called a piccolo. The third oboe player may play the cor anglais, a lower-pitched version of the oboe. The third clarinet may play a bass clarinet and the third bassoon may play a double bassoon. Both these instruments can play lower notes than the normal instruments.

The brass section is usually made up of four French horns, three trumpets, three trombones and a tuba. Composers sometimes write music for other brass instruments. For example, the German composer Richard Wagner designed a special tuba, called a Wagner tuba. He wrote music for the Wagner tuba in his operas. There is often a bass trombone in the brass section, too. This instrument plays lower notes than the normal trombone.

In the percussion section there is one player who plays the timpani, called the timpanist. The timpani are kettle drums. Each drum sounds a different note when it is played. The timpanist usually plays two or three drums, tuned to different notes. The other players in the percussion section play a wide range of instruments including the side drum (snare drum), bass drum, cymbals and triangle. Sometimes a composer includes other percussion instruments in a piece of music such as the tambourine, cymbals, xylophone, glockenspiel and tubular bells.

As well as these four main sections, the symphony orchestra often has extra instruments such as a harp or a piano.

The musicians in an orchestra have to play together. A conductor stands in front of the orchestra and directs the players to keep them in time. The conductor holds a short white stick, called a baton, which makes it easier for the players to see his or her movements. The conductor also takes rehearsals. This is when the musicians practise the pieces they are going to play in a concert.

The conductor decides where everyone in the orchestra will sit. The usual layout has the string section at the front. The violins sit to the left of the conductor, the violas, cellos and double basses to the right. The woodwind and brass sections sit behind the strings. The percussion section is at the back.

There are many different kinds of orchestra. A symphony orchestra performs symphonies, concertos and other concert music. The players in a symphony orchestra usually sit on a stage to perform. Opera orchestras accompany the singers in an opera. The players usually sit in a space underneath and slightly in front of the stage. This is called the orchestra pit. Ballet music is usually played by an orchestra, too. The ballet orchestra also sits in the orchestra pit. Smaller orchestras, called chamber orchestras, usually have 25 or fewer players.

In 1607 the first major opera was performed in Mantua, Italy. It was Orfeo by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi. Monteverdi used an orchestra to accompany the singers on stage. This was the beginning of the orchestra as we know it today.

Until the late 18th century, orchestras usually had between 20 and 30 players. During the lifetime of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) the size of the orchestra increased to between 30 and 40 players. Brass instruments such as horns, trumpets and trombones became regular members of the orchestra. During the 19th century, composers began to write more dramatic music for larger orchestras. By the early 20th century the modern orchestra of about 100 players had become the normal size.

During the 17th century, composers continued to use orchestras in opera performances. They also began to write music for orchestras on their own. These pieces were played in private concerts at royal courts and the houses of wealthy families across Europe. By the 18th century the standard orchestra was made up of first and second violins, violas, cellos and double basses. Oboes, flutes and a bassoon made up the woodwind section. The clarinet arrived slightly later: it was invented in the early 18th century and first appeared in the orchestra in the middle of the same century.