The Orchestra Reviews
Newest Review: ... many other instruments too, but most common non-percussive 'auxiliary' instruments include the piano, harp, saxophone and euphonium. Now that's a lot to take in, but in summary, there is a lot of room to manoeuvre despite being in place a traditional skeleton. The fifth 'section' of the orchestra consists of one man, and is traditionally most certainly mandatory: the conductor. Although conducting in one way or another began in the 16th and 17th centuries, it truly flourished with the input of musicians such as Wagner, Berlioz, Spohr and most importantly, Mendelssohn. The conductor's main roles are to orchestrate the rehearsals (although... more
Customer The Orchestra Reviews (1)
by - written on 03/10/12, updated on 03/01/13 (Very useful, 69 readings)
Rating:
The most historic ensemble, one of the most widely used and certainly the most diverse, the orchestra is a grand group of instruments that has evolved massively over centuries. It began as a small ensemble and has grown enormously over time, and numbers and options are endless, ranging from as little as approximately 40 players to - well, unlimited amounts - Mahler's 8th is coined "Symphony of a Thousand" for a reason. It can actually be quite an intimidating force - I know in the past I have found it quite overwhelming, with 19th/20th century composers such as Beethoven, Strauss, Elgar and Stravinsky utilising the ensemble to awesome effect. But it can be ... Read the complete review
