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An orchestra is a musical ensemble used most often in classical music. A small orchestra is called a chamber orchestra.Full size orchestras may sometimes be called "symphony orchestras" or "philharmonic orchestras"; these prefixes do not indicate any difference either to the instrumental content or role of the orchestra, but can be useful to distinguish different orchestras based in the same city (for instance, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra).
The typical symphony orchestra consists of four groups of musical instruments:
- the strings ( violins, violas, cellos, double basses),
- the woodwinds ( flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons),
- the brassBrass instruments A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as a player blows into a tubular resonator. Brass instruments are also called labrosones literally meaning "lip-vibrated instruments" (Baines, 199 ( trumpetThe trumpet is a brass instrument. It is the highest in register, above the tuba, euphonium, trombone, sousaphone, and french horn. A person who plays the trumpet is sometimes called a trumpeter but more often a trumpet player. The trumpet is made of brass, tromboneNever look at the trombones. It only encourages them. Richard Strauss The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. It is pitched lower than the trumpet, and higher than the tuba. A person who plays the trombone is called a trombonist. A trombs, tubaThe tuba is the largest of the low- brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid- 19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. There is usually only one tuba in an orchest, french horns), and
- the percussionPercussion instruments are played by being struck or shaken. They are perhaps the oldest form of musical instruments. Some percussion instruments play not only rhythm, but also melody and harmony. Classifications Most percussion instruments have a distinc ( timpaniTimpani or kettledrums are percussion musical instruments. A type of drum, they consist of a skin, called a head stretched over a large hemispherical bowl generally made of copper. Unlike most drums, they have a definite pitch when struck. Timpani is an I, snare drumThe snare drum (or side drum is a tubular drum made of wood or metal with skins, or heads, stretched over the top and bottom openings. A cluster of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, or animal gut is stretched across the bottom head. When the, bass drum, celesta, etc.).
Contemporaneously, the musicians are usually directed by a conductor, although early orchestras did not have one, using instead the principal violinist or the harpsichordist playing the continuo for this role. Some modern orchestras also do without conductors, particularly smaller orchestras and those specialising in historically accurate performances of baroque music and earlier.
The most frequently performed repertoire for a symphony orchestra is Western classical music or opera. They are also used in popular music, however.
