Orchestra

What it means

An orchestra is a large association of instruments in which at least the string parts are multiply scored. The symphony orchestra is organized into four groups: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, plus, depending on the work, harp and keyboard instruments. Direction lies with the conductor, and within the strings with the concertmaster. Smaller forms are the chamber orchestra and string orchestra; alongside these stand the wind band and ensembles of other scoring.

Musical use

The particular value of the orchestra lies in the combination of fullness and variety of colour: the strings supply a blendable, sustaining basic sound, the winds distinguishable individual colours, the percussion accent and contour. The composition has grown historically — from the small string ensemble with continuo of the Baroque, through the Classical scoring with paired winds, to the large apparatus of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Every expansion changed the manner of composing, because more tone colours and greater volume differences became possible. For older music, a reduced scoring is often used today, so that the proportions are right.

The orchestra developed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from the court chapels. In the nineteenth century it grew considerably, and composers such as Berlioz, Wagner, and Mahler used new colours and instruments. A modern symphony orchestra comprises about 60 to 100 musicians.

Performance practice

Listen beyond your own group and orient intonation and articulation to the whole. Follow the entered bowing arrangement and the agreements of the section leadership. Count consistently, especially after long rests. At large distances, take your bearings from the conductor rather than from your ear, because sound needs time. Check the balance, where possible, from the hall. Watch for timely instrument and mute changes and mark them in the part.

Bear in mind that the size of the scoring must fit the work: a large string section covers the winds in eighteenth-century music, while a small scoring does not carry in late-Romantic works. Clarify this when planning a programme. Count consistently, especially after long rests.

Clarify the seating arrangement early, because it noticeably influences balance, ensemble playing, and the perception in the hall.