And finally, to the conductor himself it is that belongs a special duty as mediator between orchestra and public. Since they are put on stage, naturally that is the most visible one on a performance. The way they move, their expressiveness and passion usually gives the audience a glimpse of what they are already hearing is a picture of music coveriing the whole range of emotions. From a soft touch down to the ground, or even when the performance is grand – it is all about the final act and what you can feel. In so doing, a conductor turns a concert from being simply something for the ears into an auditory, visual and even emotional experience.
Symphony vs. Chamber Orchestras
The Glory and Terror of Symphony Orchestras
When thinking of orchestras, the symphony orchestra is usually what comes to mind: a substantial number of musicians performing in a posh concert hall following the direction of a conductor who stands out in front. This orchestra is the largest and most powerful in an orchestral form, with as many as eighty players distributed among strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. With such an array of instruments at hand, a symphony orchestra can be used to create all manner of sounds—from the bellowing might of brass to the frail whispers of a string section. The issue is a dense swirl of texture and complexity, depth and emotion. Their monumental works contain layer after layer of musical ideas happening at once in the service of such composers as Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich have turned to the power of the symphony orchestra to bring them to life.
The Complexity of Symphonic Music
What distinguishes symphonic music is not only its amplitude but also its complexity.
Orchestrated portions intermingle with others to form a tapestry of sound.
The counterpoints’ wealth is in dozens of instrumental voices, mixing and answering and
competing with each other in ways that only the entire range of an ensemble this size can follow so completely.
An individual symphonic movement can contain soaring string melodies rising over woodwind countermelodies, brass fanfares, and rhythmic accompaniment from the percussion.
“These are interactions which give rise not to music but to immersive sound worlds that audience can feel emotionally and physically.
The Intimacy and Precision of Chamber Orchestras
You get quite another musical experience with a chamber orchestra.
Chamber orchestras generally string: chamber orchestras are often composed of between 15 and 40 players,
with string sections that are more compact than those used in symphony orchestras.
That diminished massiveness translates into a sound that is lighter, clearer and often more precise than the symphony’s.
You can also hear the distinct colors of individual instruments rather than being submerged in a wash of sound.
In such an atmosphere, the clarinet or violin or flute is no longer a small voice in a big chorus
but a separate and distinctive personality with its own direct contribution to musical dialogue.
A Chamber Orchestra’s Music à Proposition is hear!
Chamber orchestra repertoire generally favors clarity, balance and precision — things that exist in abundance among the music of Mozart, Haydn and early Beethoven.
These are composers who wrote music that lives and breathes through transparency
where you can hear an instrument’s role as a discrete addition.
Even minor differences in phrasing or dynamics come through quite clearly in a chamber-orchestra performance,
letting you “hear” the give and take between musicians on an intimate level.
Chamber music isn’t as much in your face, but it feels intimate to the listener,
like when you’re overhearing two companions in creativity having a chat.