And the true brilliance of orchestrational harmony is that we mix together all these (i.e. strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion) in one seamless unity. An even orchestra doesn’t sound like a series of instruments; it sounds one voice, capable of an infinite variety of shades and colours.
This is a unity that requires not just skilled musicians but also the conductor who has to ensure one section doesn’t impose itself above another.
The result is that life comes to seem like a kind of breathing itself,
in which what turns out always is something other than you were expecting and difference turns out to be strength.
Every player is so crucial and yet the whole thing is more than the sum of its parts.
That is the reason that orchestral music can reach people so very deep: it follows the doctrine of unity among diversity,
reminding us not to lose sight of the fact that harmony doesn’t come from likeness but collaboration.
(Re)presenting the Orchestra as a Cultural Symbol
The orchestra also serves as a cultural symbol of great significance.
Orchestras have always stood for the achievement of artistic perfection and human triumph.
They represent the power in numbers, organization and unity.
Everytime somebody hears or watches an orchestra I think they are not “listening to music” but actually listening to many hours of practicing,
operating and sacrificing made by the musicians and conductor as well.
So the orchestra is also a connection and it’s also looking back to now with then,
instantly resurrecting the first performance of these works were written 200-300 years ago as well as programming music
that’s released even this year that is new material played live.
Whether on the grand stage of an opera house, in the cozy confines of a chamber hall or even outside for general audiences,
the orchestra is a reflection of that universal human urge to create beauty with sound.
Hallo! and a brief history of the Orchestra.
And the concept of the orchestra evolved in the 17 th century along with those of classical music.
Early orchestras were small, and were primarily conducted in the courts.
In the 18 th and 19 th centuries composers such as Mozart,
Beethoven and Tchaikovsky would blow up this orchestra work into massive proportions known as symphonies.
Orchestras remain a dominant force in the world of classical music, but today they are also embracing new forms by creating soundtracks,
experimental new-music recordings and even intergenre projects.
The Role of the Conductor
He is the leader of the orchestra.
The conductor keeps all of the players together in a performance using gestures, expressions and keeping strict time.
Apart from coordination, the conductor is interpreting for the musicians
what he believes to be the wishes of dead composers and also creating tempo, volume and mood in real time.