Percussion and wind instruments of a symphony orchestra. Types of orchestras performing instrumental and symphonic music Instruments that are not part of the orchestra

The symphony orchestra consists of three groups of musical instruments: strings (violins, violas, cellos, double basses), winds (brass and wood) and a group of percussion instruments. The number of musicians in groups may vary, depending on the piece being played. Often, the composition of a symphony orchestra is expanded, additional and atypical musical instruments are introduced for it: harp, celesta, saxophone, etc. The number of musicians in a symphony orchestra in some cases may exceed 200 musicians!

Depending on the number of musicians in the groups, a small and large symphony orchestra is distinguished; among the varieties of small there are theater orchestras participating in the musical accompaniment of operas and ballets.

Chamber

Such an orchestra differs from a symphonic orchestra by a significantly smaller composition of musicians and a smaller variety of groups of instruments. The chamber orchestra has also reduced the number of wind and percussion instruments.

String

This orchestra consists only of stringed bowed instruments - violin, viola, cello, double bass.

Wind

The brass band includes a variety of instruments of the wind group - wood and brass, as well as a group of percussion instruments. The brass band includes, along with musical instruments typical for a symphony orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba), and specific instruments (wind alto, tenor, baritone, euphonium, flugelhorn, sousaphone, etc.) etc.), which are not found in other types of orchestras.

In our country, military brass bands are very popular, performing, along with pop and jazz compositions, special applied military music: fanfare, marches, hymns and the so-called landscape gardening repertoire - waltzes and old marches. Brass bands are much more mobile than symphonic and chamber bands, they can perform music while they are moving. There is a special genre of performance - an orchestral defile, in which the performance of music by a brass band is combined with the simultaneous performance of complex choreographic performances by musicians.

In large theaters of opera and ballet, you can find special brass bands - theatrical bands. The gangs participate directly in the stage production itself, where, according to the plot, the musicians are acting characters.

Pop

As a rule, this is a special composition of a small symphony orchestra (pop-symphony orchestra), which includes, among other things, a group of saxophones, specific keyboards, electronic instruments (synthesizer, electric guitar, etc.) and a pop rhythm section.

Jazz

A jazz orchestra (band), as a rule, consists of a brass group, which includes trumpets, trombones and saxophones groups expanded in comparison with other orchestras, a string group, represented by violins and double bass, as well as a jazz rhythm section.

Orchestra of folk instruments

One of the variants of the folk ensemble is the orchestra of Russian folk instruments. It consists of groups of balalaikas and domras, includes gusli, button accordions, special Russian wind instruments - horns and zhaleikas. It is not uncommon for such orchestras to include instruments typical for a symphony orchestra - flutes, oboe, French horns and percussion instruments. The idea of ​​creating such an orchestra was proposed by balalaika player Vasily Andreev at the end of the 19th century.

The orchestra of Russian folk instruments is not the only type of folk ensembles. There are, for example, Scottish piper orchestras, Mexican wedding orchestras, in which there is a group of various guitars, trumpets, ethnic percussion, etc.

Interesting, but true ...

Physicist Albert Einstein, puzzling over the most difficult questions, usually played the violin until a solution came. Then he got up and announced: "Well, finally I understand what the matter is!"

Symphony orchestra structure

Orchestra in ancient Greece called a place intended for choir(Greek orcheomay - I dance). Currently, an orchestra is a certain composition of musical instruments that form an organic whole on the basis of a deep internal relationship of timbres with each other. Musical practice has developed various types of orchestras. Each has a certain set of instruments and a different number of them. The main types: opera and symphony, wind, folk orchestra, jazz orchestra.

The symphony orchestra, in turn, has varieties. Chamber orchestra (10 - 12 people) is created for the performance of early music by the composition for which it was written (Brandenburg Concertos by Bach, Concerto grosso by Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel). The core of the chamber orchestra is a string group with the addition of harpsichord, flute, oboe, bassoon and French horns. The appeal to a chamber orchestra in contemporary music is associated either with the search for new expressive possibilities (Shostakovich. Opera "The Nose", Symphony 14, A. Schnittke. Concerto grosso for two violins and a chamber orchestra 1977), or it is explained by practical considerations. Such circumstances turned out to be decisive when I. Stravinsky's “History of a Soldier” was created in 1918: “... our staging means were very scarce ... I saw no other way out but to choose a composition that would include the most characteristic instruments of high and low registers. From strings - violin and double bass, from wooden - clarinet and bassoon, from copper - trumpet and trombone and, finally, percussion, which is controlled by one musician. "

String orchestra consists of a bowed orchestra group (Tchaikovsky. Serenade for string orchestra, Onneger. Second symphony).

By the end of the 18th century, when the creative path of Haydn and Mozart was coming to an end and the first symphonies of Beethoven appeared, small (classical) orchestra. Its composition:

string group woodwind brasswind drums

violins I flutes 2 French horns 2 - 4 timpani 2 - 3

violin II oboes 2 trumpets 2

viola clarinets 2

cello bassoons 2

double bass

J. Haydn. Symphony "Hours", part II

In the second half of the 19th century, the large symphony orchestra. The main distinguishing feature of a large orchestra from a small one is the presence of three trombones and a tuba ( heavy copper quartet ). To create dynamic balance, the number of performers in the string group increases.

Small orchestra Large orchestra

violins I 4 consoles 8 - 10 consoles

violins II 3 consoles 7 - 9 consoles

violas 2 remotes 6 remotes

cello 2 remotes 5 remotes

contrabass 1 remote control 4 - 5 remotes

Depending on the number of woodwind instruments, several compositions of a large symphony orchestra are distinguished.

Paired or dual composition , in which there are 2 instruments of each family

Schubert. Symphony h-moll.

Glinka. Waltz-fantasy.

Tchaikovsky. Symphony No. 1.

Triple composition, in which there are 3 instruments of each family:

Lyadov. Baba is a yaga.

Rimsky-Korsakov. Operas "The Golden Cockerel", "The Tale of Tsar Saltan".

Quadruple composition : 4 flutes, 4 oboes, 4 clarinets, 4 bassoons.

How an exception is encountered single composition:

Prokofiev. Symphonic tale "Peter and the Wolf".

Rimsky-Korsakov. Opera "Mozart and Salieri".

Available intermediate composition:

Rimsky-Korsakov. "Scheherazade".

Shostakovich. Symphonies 7, 8, 10.

Tchaikovsky. Symphony No. 5. Overtures "Francesca da Rimini", Romeo and Juliet ".

The organization of a symphony orchestra consists in combining related instruments into groups. There are five of them:

Bowed string instruments - archi

Woodwind instruments - fiati (legno)

Brass instruments - ottoni

Percussion instruments - percussi

Keyboards and plucked instruments.

3. Find information about the composition of the orchestra in Monteverdi's opera "Orpheus"

Consists of six groups of instruments, such as strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboards and additional. Up to 110 musicians play in a large symphony orchestra, and up to 50 musicians in a small one.

Stringed instruments form the basis of a symphony orchestra. They are the carriers of the melodic principle of a piece of music. The instruments of this group are similar in appearance and timbre, and the sound is produced with a bow. The expressive sound of the violin is central to the group and the entire orchestra. The viola differs from the violin in its slightly larger size and more muffled, matte sound. The cello in appearance follows the contours of the violin, but it is much larger than it. The cello is not held on the shoulder, like the previous two instruments, but rest on a stand. This instrument has a low, but velvety and noble sound. The double bass exceeds in size not only all the above instruments of the group, but also the height of a person, therefore they play on it while sitting. The double bass sound is low and humming.

The groups of woodwind instruments are: a sonorous flute, an oboe with a rich warm sound, a clarinet with a varied timbre, a bass bassoon with a husky sound and the lowest timbre of the contrabassoon group. This group got its name from the material from which they are made, wood, and the method of producing sound, blowing air.

For the manufacture of instruments of the group of brass instruments, metals with a high copper content are used. Their introduction is characterized by a powerful, solemn, bright sound. The sonorous "voice" of the trumpet often plays the lead part. Voltorn is traditionally used in pastoral music. During the climax of the piece, the trombone performs its part. The tuba has the lowest sound.

Percussion instruments are united by a method of sound extraction - strike. But by the nature of their sound, they are all different. Their main task is to emphasize the rhythm, enhance the sound of the orchestra, add expressiveness. In the orchestra you can find such percussion instruments: timpani, big and snare drums, tambourine, cymbals and triangles, bells, xylophone.

A key group is characterized by the presence of white and black keys for each instrument. Among them are: organ, clavichord, harpsichord, piano. They are often solitary in the orchestra.

For the performance of certain works, the orchestra includes a string-plucked instrument with a delicate, transparent timbre - the harp. She brings a note of magic to a piece of music.

Orchestra(from the Greek orchestra) - a large group of instrumental musicians. Unlike chamber ensembles, in the orchestra, some of its musicians form groups that play in unison, that is, they play the same parts.
The very idea of ​​simultaneous music-making by a group of instrumental performers goes back to ancient times: even in Ancient Egypt, small groups of musicians played together at various holidays and funerals.
The word "orchestra" ("orchestra") comes from the name of the round area in front of the stage in the ancient Greek theater, which housed the ancient Greek choir, a participant in any tragedy or comedy. During the Renaissance and further into Xvii century, the orchestra was transformed into an orchestra pit and, accordingly, gave the name to the group of musicians located in it.
There are many different types of orchestra: military orchestras consisting of brass and wood instruments, folk instrument orchestras, string orchestras. The largest in composition and the richest in its capabilities is the symphony orchestra.

Symphonican orchestra is called, made up of several heterogeneous groups of instruments - a family of strings, winds and percussion. The principle of such unification developed in Europe in Xviii century. Initially, the symphony orchestra consisted of groups of bowed instruments, woodwind and brass instruments, which were joined by a few Percussion instruments. Subsequently, the composition of each of these groups expanded and diversified. Currently, among a number of varieties of symphony orchestras, it is customary to distinguish between small and large symphony orchestras. The Small Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra of a predominantly classical composition (playing music from the late 18th - early 19th centuries, or modern stylizations). It consists of 2 flutes (rarely a piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 (rarely 4) French horns, sometimes 2 trumpets and timpani, a string group of no more than 20 instruments (5 first and 4 second violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, 2 double basses). The Symphony Orchestra (BSO) includes obligatory trombones in the copper group and can have any composition. Often wooden instruments (flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons) reach up to 5 instruments of each family (sometimes more clarinets) and include varieties (small and alto flutes, cupid-oboe and English oboe, small, alto and bass clarinets, contrabassoon). The copper group can include up to 8 horns (including special Wagner tubas), 5 trumpets (including small, alto, bass), 3-5 trombones (tenor and tenorbass) and a tuba. Saxophones are very often used (all 4 types in a jazz orchestra). The string group reaches 60 or more instruments. Numerous percussion instruments (although timpani, bells, snare and bass drums, triangle, cymbals, and Indian tomtams make up their backbone), often used are the harp, grand piano, and harpsichord.
To illustrate the sound of the orchestra, I will use the recording of the final concert of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. The concert took place in 2011 in the Australian city of Sydney. It was watched live on television by millions of people around the world. The YouTube Symphony Orchestra project is dedicated to fostering a love of music and showcasing the enormous creative diversity of humankind.

The concert program included well-known and little-known works of famous and little-known composers.

Here is his program:

Hector Berlioz - Roman Carnival - Overture, Op. 9 (featuring Android Jones - digital artist)
Meet Maria Chiossi - Harp
Percy Grainger - Arrival on a Platform Humlet from in a Nutshell - Suite
Johan Sebastian Bach - Toccata in F major for organ (featuring Cameron Carpenter)
Meet Paulo Calligopoulos - Electric Guitar and violin
Alberto Ginastera - Danza del trigo (Wheat Dance) and Danza final (Malambo) from the ballet Estancia (conducted by Ilyich Rivas)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - "Caro" bell "idol mio" - Canon in three voices, K562 (featuring the Sydney Children "s Choir and soprano Renee Fleming via video)
Meet Xiomara Mass - Oboe
Benjamin Britten - The Young Person "s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34
William Barton - Kalkadunga (featuring William Barton - Didgeridoo)
Timothy Constable - Suna
Meet Roman Riedel - Trombone
Richard Strauss - Fanfare for the Vienna Philharmonic (featuring Sarah Willis, Horn, Berlin Philharmoniker and conducted by Edwin Outwater)
* PREMIERE * Mason Bates - Mothership (specially composed for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011)
Meet Su Chang - Guzheng
Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (Finale) (featuring Stefan Jackiw and conducted by Ilyich Rivas)
Meet Ozgur Baskin - Violin
Colin Jacobsen and Siamak Aghaei - Ascending Bird - Suite for string orchestra (featuring Colin Jacobsen, violin, and Richard Tognetti, violin, and Kseniya Simonova - sand artist)
Meet Stepan Grytsay - Violin
Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird (Infernal Dance - Berceuse - Finale)
* ENCORE * Franz Schubert - Rosamunde (featuring Eugene Izotov - oboe, and Andrew Mariner - clarinet)

The history of the symphony orchestra

The symphony orchestra has evolved over the centuries. Its development took place for a long time in the bowels of opera and church ensembles. Such teams in XV - XVII centuries were small and varied. They included lutes, viols, flutes with oboes, trombones, harps, drums. Stringed bowed instruments gradually took over the dominant position. Violas were replaced by violins with their more juicy and melodious sound. To the beginning Xviii v. they already reigned supreme in the orchestra. A separate group and wind instruments (flutes, oboes, bassoons) were united. From the church orchestra they switched to symphonic trumpets and timpani. An indispensable participant in instrumental ensembles was the harpsichord.
This composition was typical for J.S.Bach, G. Handel, A. Vivaldi.
From the middle Xviii v. the genres of symphony and instrumental concert began to develop. The departure from the polyphonic style led to the composers' striving for timbre variety, relief isolation of orchestral voices.
The functions of new instruments are changing. The harpsichord with its weak sound is gradually losing its leading role. Soon, composers completely abandon it, relying mainly on the string and wind group. By the end Xviii v. the so-called classical composition of the orchestra was formed: about 30 strings, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 2-3 French horns and timpani. The clarinet soon joined the brass. J. Haydn and W. Mozart wrote for such a composition. Such is the orchestra in L. Beethoven's early works. V XIX v.
The development of the orchestra went mainly in two directions. On the one hand, increasing in composition, it was enriched with instruments of many types (this is the great merit of romantic composers, primarily Berlioz, Liszt, Wagner), on the other hand, the internal capabilities of the orchestra developed: the sound colors became cleaner, the texture became clearer, expressive resources are more economical (such is the orchestra of Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov). Significantly enriched the orchestral palette and many composers of the end XIX - 1st half of XX v. (R. Strauss, Mahler, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Bartok, Shostakovich, etc.).

Symphony orchestra composition

The modern symphony orchestra consists of 4 main groups. The orchestra is based on a string group (violins, violas, cellos, double basses). In most cases, the strings are the main carriers of the melodic principle in the orchestra. The number of musicians playing strings is about 2/3 of the entire group. The group of woodwind instruments includes flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons. Each of them usually has an independent party. Yielding to bowed ones in timbre saturation, dynamic properties and a variety of playing techniques, wind instruments have great strength, compact sound, and bright colorful shades. The third group of orchestra instruments is brass (French horn, trumpet, trombone, trumpet). They bring new bright colors to the orchestra, enriching its dynamic capabilities, giving the sound power and brilliance, and also serve as a bass and rhythmic support.
Percussion instruments are becoming increasingly important in the symphony orchestra. Their main function is rhythmic. In addition, they create a special sound and noise background, complement and decorate the orchestral palette with coloristic effects. By the nature of the sound, the drums are divided into 2 types: some have a certain pitch (timpani, bells, xylophone, bells, etc.), others are devoid of accurate pitch (triangle, tambourine, snare and big drums, cymbals). Of the instruments not included in the main groups, the role of the harp is the most significant. Occasionally, composers include celesta, piano, saxophone, organ and other instruments in the orchestra.
More information about the instruments of the symphony orchestra - the string group, woodwind, brass and percussion can be found at website.
I cannot ignore another useful site, "To Children About Music", which I discovered during the preparation of the post. Don't be intimidated by the fact that this is a site for children. It contains some pretty serious things, only told in a simpler, understandable language. Here link on him. By the way, it also contains a story about a symphony orchestra.

Symphony Orchestra Musical Instruments

Music is best, of course, to listen to in a concert hall. Because no modern equipment can convey all the richness of the sound of musical instruments in an orchestra. For example, in a symphony. The very word "orchestra" came to us from Ancient Greece. This was the name of the platform in front of the stage in the ancient theater. An ancient Greek choir was located on this site. On stage, the actors acted out a comedy or tragedy, and the chorus created the musical accompaniment. Today, by the word "orchestra" we mean a group of musicians who play various musical instruments. And the word "symphonic" indicates that this orchestra is the largest and richest in its capabilities. Because it includes strings, winds, and percussion instruments. Such an orchestra can take part from 60 to 120 musicians. And even more. The orchestra consists of 4 main groups of musical instruments: bowed strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. The stringed bows include: violins, violas, cellos, double basses. Woodwinds include: flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons. Brass instruments are French horns, trumpets, trombones, tubas. Percussion instruments include timpani, snare drums, xylophones, big drums, cymbals, triangles, castanets and many others.

The role of the conductor

Can an orchestra play without a conductor? To answer this question, you need to know about the role of the conductor in the orchestra. It is necessary, first of all, so that all musicians play at the same tempo. Previously, the role of conductor was performed by a person who beat out the rhythm with a special rod. Then the first violinist became him. He stood in front of the orchestra, playing the violin, and with the movements of his head and body of the bow showed the musicians the tempo and rhythm of the piece. Over time, more and more musical instruments appeared in the orchestra, so a person was needed to perform the role of a conductor. The conductor stands on a dais so that all musicians can see his gestures. In his right hand he holds a stick, which shows the rhythm and tempo of the music. The left hand conveys character and subtle nuances of performance. The role of the conductor is very important. And what qualities should a person of this profession have? First of all, he must be a professional musician with the appropriate education. In conducting, the musician uses his body, not just his hands, to convey his thoughts and feelings to other musicians. Although the conductor plays the main role in the orchestra, there was still an independent orchestra in history. Or rather an ensemble. It was called "Persimfans". It consisted of musicians who were very famous at that time. They played there harmoniously that they could easily do without a conductor.