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    101 Amazing Facts about The Orchestra
    101 Amazing Facts about The Orchestra
    101 Amazing Facts about The Orchestra
    Ebook49 pages33 minutes

    101 Amazing Facts about The Orchestra

    By Jack Goldstein

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    About this ebook

    What is special about the double bass compared to all other string instruments? What is the difference between a xylophone and a glockenspiel? How long is the tubing that makes up a trumpet? And what is the name of the world’s oldest surviving violin? All of these questions and more are answered in this introductory guide to the instruments featured in the modern symphony orchestra. With sections covering strings, brass, woodwind, percussion and keyboard instruments, as well as additional information about the history and structure of the orchestra, this is a fascinating book for children and adults alike.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJack Goldstein Books
    Release dateFeb 24, 2016
    ISBN9781785384103

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      Book preview

      101 Amazing Facts about The Orchestra - Jack Goldstein

      www.jackgoldsteinbooks.com

      The Orchestra

      An orchestra is a large collection of instruments (and their players) used in classical music.

      As time has progressed, although there have been minor changes and additions to the instruments used, the basic structure of an orchestra is mostly the same as it has been for hundreds of years.

      A full-size orchestra will generally consist of some eighty to one hundred musicians and is often called a symphony or philharmonic orchestra. This is in contrast to the smaller chamber orchestra which has no more than fifty players.

      The orchestra is split up into various sections, the main ones being the strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. A fairly common fifth section is called the keyboard section, in which a piano, organ or even harp can be found.

      The exact setup of an orchestra will vary depending on the composition being played. Some composers (such as Wagner) featured instruments that they specifically designed (or at least modified - in his case the Wager Tuba) and in 20th century works one can often find electronic instruments and some even stranger devices - more of which will be revealed later on in this book!

      An orchestra is led by a conductor. This person directs the performance of the musicians with visual gestures, controlling the tempo (speed) of the music as well as the sound mixture - for instance indicating for a section to increase or decrease their playing volume.

      A wide repertoire of music is played by orchestras, including overtures, concertos and symphonies as well as music written for ballets and opera performances.

      In many circumstances, a choir or individual vocalists will perform with an orchestra.

      It is commonly believed that the collection of instruments of which an orchestra is comprised were standardised around the classical period in music history - from around 1750 to the 1820s.

      It was in the early 19th century that Ludwig van Beethoven was composing pieces for orchestra, and certain facets of the modern orchestra - such as having double wind and brass sections as standard - are generally attributed to his influence; almost without exception he included paired instruments within these sections.

      A Conductor’s Baton

      Strings - Part 1

      Violin - The violin is the smallest (and therefore highest-pitched)

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