Questions tagged [orchestra]
A sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.
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Why does certain modern symphony music sound like movie scores to me?
Here is an example:
Now, it is the theme we all know and love, but why do the other bits of the music (the parts that are not the main theme) sound so very much like a ...
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Historically Informed Performance: Tenuto on long sustained notes
I’m really interested in historically informed performance practice and want to learn as much as I can about it – even though it’s such a huge field. That’s the main focus of my question.
Here’s an ...
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Are violin players paired by dominant hand in orchestras?
I am watching the Vienna New Year concert and noticed that violon players seem to be sometimes paired by righ- and left-handed players when in a "column" (rows of pairs sharing the same ...
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Is "shower" a known term among professional orchestras?
In the English translation of "Absolutely on Music," Seiji Ozawa recounts an episode at La Scala in which the musicians of the orchestra rallied behind him:
Page 236 from the paperback:
...
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Is there a term for the sound the orchestra produces when they tune?
There’s a peculiar sound a symphony produces when everyone tunes their instruments just before the performance begins. I find it oddly soothing. I wonder if there’s a specific term or colloquialism ...
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Instrumental parts page size, 8.5x11 or 9x12?
In preparing individual instrumental parts for band and orchestra music both as a composer and a copyist for a number of years, the vast majority of my output has been printed (in the US) on letter-...
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Is there a name for this unusual chord progression found in various performances of Edelweiss?
I tried looking this up on Gemini AI, specifically inputting the chord progressions as
I, bVII7, IV (6-3), minIV I(6-4) 7V I
According to what it said, it appeared to use accidentals/borrowed chords, ...
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How should the harmonic glissandi be played in the violin 1 part for Firebird?
I noticed that the directions for the harmonic glisses in the opening of Firebird (seems consistent across the 1910 - 1919 versions) have the 1st violins playing scordatura on the E string. Is there a ...
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Needing help for the score order of percussion instruments
I'm preparing my first piece of music for its premier, and I'm trying to edit and tune up (pun intended) my score so that it's ready for performance. I am a self taught composer and most of what I ...
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What is the origin, precise meaning, and purpose of labelling the string section "Archi" in an orchestral score?
In an orchestral score for Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano concerto I see that in subsequent pages (page 2-10) the string section (2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 contrabass) is labelled "Archi", ...
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What would be louder for a melody on piano against orchestra?
If I double the melody across an octave, the sound stands out to me. But I never played with an orchestra before, so I don't know, if it would be noticeable (brass held out notes forte). If I play the ...
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string quartet + chamber orchestra + symphonic orchestra. Why?
In “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” by Vaughan Williams, we see a string quartet performing alongside a chamber orchestra of about eight people and a full-scale symphony orchestra. I wonder why ...
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How to indicate divisi for an entire section?
I have this section below and I want to indicate that unison notes need to be played by the entire section, while the cords should be divisi. Is there a cleaner way to indicate this?
The effect would ...
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Do I need to indicate 'solo' for wind/brass instruments in shared staff?
In an orchestral score, do I need to indicate 'solo' for wind/brass instruments passages in a shared staff?
In the below example, I have a passage that I want to be played by one horn (solo), but the ...
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Bass Ad Lib Instruction on conductor score of Britten Simple Symphony
I'm playing double bass for Britten's Simple Symphony as part of a string orchestra and the conductor score for movement 3 (Sentimental Saraband) has bass 'ad libitum' written at the first bar of the ...
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