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Orchestral

An orchestra is a musical ensemble used most often in classical music. A small orchestra (about forty players) is called a chamber orchestra. more...

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A full size orchestra (about 104 players) may sometimes be called a "symphony orchestra" or "philharmonic orchestra"; these prefixes do not necessarily indicate any strict difference in either the instrumental constitution or role of the orchestra, but can be useful to distinguish different ensembles based in the same city (for instance, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra). A symphony orchestra will usually have over eighty musicians on its roster, in some cases over a hundred, but the actual number of musicians employed in a particular performance may vary according to the work being played, and the size of the venue. A leading chamber orchestra might employ as many as fifty members; some are much smaller than that.

Instrumentation and proportions

The typical symphony orchestra consists of four proportionate groups of similar musical instruments, generally appearing in the musical score in the following order (with proportions indicated):

the woodwinds: 2 flutes*, piccolo, 2 oboes*, cor anglais, 2 clarinets*, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons*, contrabassoon; the brass: 2* to 6 horns*, 2* to 5 trumpets*, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba; the percussion: timpani*, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, celesta, etc.; the strings: harp(s), 16 to 30 (or more) violins*, 8 to 12 (or more) violas*, 8 to 12 (or more) cellos*, 5 to 8 (or more) double basses*, and piano, .; Occasionally, traditional wind ensemble instruments appear, such as the saxophone and euphonium.;

Instruments (and their minimum number) marked with an asterisk are considered "core" symphonic instruments, and only in rarest of cases are not called for in most symphonic literature. Other instruments listed above are considered "auxiliary" instruments and are less frequently required, but still referred to as "standard". Late 19th-century symphonic works calling for all the auxiliary instruments, as well as a large number of strings, usually include the phrase "for large orchestra" in their full titles. Example: Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben.

Beethoven’s influence

The so-called "standard complement" of 'double winds and brass' in the orchestra from the first half of the 19th century is generally attributed to the forces called for by Beethoven in his symphonic works. With the exception of his Fourth Symphony and Violin Concerto (which specify the singular Flauto), the composer's instrumentation almost always included paired flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and trumpets. The expansion of this particular timbral "palette" in Symphonies 3, 5, 6, and 9 is carefully calculated by Beethoven for an innovative effect. The third horn in the "Eroica" Symphony arrives to provide not only some harmonic flexibility, but also the effect of "choral" brass in the Trio. Piccolo, contrabassoon, and trombones add to the triumphal finale of his opus 67. A piccolo and a pair of trombones help deliver storm and sunshine in the Sixth. The Ninth asks for a second pair of horns, for reasons similar to the Eroica; Beethoven's use of piccolo, contrabassoon, trombones, and unpitched percussion – plus chorus and vocal solists – in his finale, are his earliest suggestion that the timbral boundaries of "symphony" might be expanded for good. But for several decades after his departure, symphonic instrumentation was faithful to Beethoven's well-established model, with few exceptions.