Orchestra

An orchestra (Greek ὀρχήστρα Orchestra, dancing place ', ie a semi-circular area in front of the stage of a Greek theater on which danced a choir ) is a larger occupied instrumental ensemble, which is characterized in that at least some votes multiple times ( " chorus " ) are occupied. In the field of classical music, a distinction the great studded Symphony Orchestra from the smaller chamber orchestra. In addition, there are orchestras, consisting only of instruments of a specific genre, such as concert band, string orchestra, Orchestra of plucked instruments or the gamelan of Indonesia. Jazz Orchestra and similar formations of the dance and entertainment music are usually referred to as Big Band.

Symphony

The symphony orchestra (alternative spelling: symphony ) is the usual ensemble for playing orchestral works from about the second half of the 18th century.

The strings whose voices are multiply occupied (eg Berliner Philharmoniker: 23 first violins, 20 second violins, 16 violas, 13 cellos, 11 double basses ), standing against the other, soloists that instrument groups.

The instruments are placed on the podium after a certain arrangement. It is usual nowadays, the so-called American lineup, but some orchestra playing in the German formation, especially in the context of historical performance practice. The German seating arrangement was common until the early 20th century.

The instrument groups (in order of placement in the score):

• Woodwind: Flutes with piccolo
• Oboes with English Horn
• Clarinet with Eb and bass clarinet
• With bassoons contrabassoon

• Horns
• Trumpet
• Trombones with bass trombone
• Tuba

• Swot
• Percussion instruments ( for example, drums, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, and other mallets )

It may still come to other instruments that are seldom firmly occupied in German professional orchestras. These include, for example,

• Keyboard instruments like piano, harpsichord, organ, celesta
• Modern developments classical orchestral instruments such as saxophone, Heckelphone and Wagner tuba
• Original military instruments, such as the flugelhorn
• Plucked from folk or jazz as mandolin, guitar, balalaika or zither
• Tongue instruments such as accordion or bandoneon
• Electronic instruments such as synthesizers or Ondes Martenot

" Symphony ", " philharmonic orchestra " or " Philharmonic " are common components of the name of symphony orchestras; they denote no difference in occupation or role of the orchestra, but can help to distinguish different orchestras of a city (such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra ).

Chamber Orchestra

A chamber orchestra is significantly smaller than a symphony orchestra. Its main cast often consists only of a small string orchestra, for example, five first and four second violins, four violas, four cellos and a double bass; Winds are dazugeholt when needed.

The first chamber orchestra of modern design originated in the 1920s. The trigger was primarily a counter-movement to the sprawling masses of sound of late romantic music and the necessary large orchestras; the rediscovery of "age" music and the precarious economic situation, the more difficult the maintenance of very large orchestra, played a role.

Because of the lower economic risk, it was possible to bring a chamber orchestra also amplified contemporary music for the performance. So, for example, Paul Sacher founded 1926, the Basel Chamber Orchestra with this objective. Until its dissolution in 1987, the band played numerous, often given by Sacher commissioned works by composers such as Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, Hans Werner Henze and Witold Lutoslawski.

The increasing abandonment of the public taste of the romance and the perfect cast made ​​the Chamber Orchestra of the ideal ensemble for the performance of the largely forgotten music of the Baroque and Classical periods. In this regard, in particular Karl Münchinger made ​​with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and its slim, " unromantic " style of interpretation founded after the Second World War earned.

Since the 1950s arose specialist ensembles, which deal extensively with the particular occupation, notation and technical demands of avant-garde composers who are difficult to manage from a classical chamber orchestra.

Finally, the resurgence of involvement with early music was from about the 1970s, numerous formations occur in various formations - occur frequently and without a conductor - from solo trio to chamber orchestra with wind instruments. Examples are the Musica Antiqua Köln and the Collegium Aureum be mentioned.

Film Orchestra

Film Orchestra emerged during the silent era, on the one hand to accompany during the theatrical release, the action, on the other hand, to drown out the noise of the projector. Were listed in both original compositions as well as medleys of well-known pieces. In Germany in 1929 over 6000 musicians were active in such cinema orchestras. With the introduction of sound film Cinema Orchestra in 1930 were unnecessary. In contrast, the studios began in Hollywood to build their own orchestra. Since many of the dedicated film composers were influenced by European late-romantic music, this orchestra often had extensive Symphony occupation. Its importance declined until the 1970s, when the pop music increasingly found its way into the soundtracks of films. In Germany there is the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg, which emerged from the orchestras of UFA and DEFA, currently only a professional film orchestra.

Line

Nowadays, the musicians are usually directed by a conductor, while in the early days of the first violinist ( concertmaster ) or the basso continuo playing harpsichord approached this role. Even some modern orchestra come from without a conductor, particularly smaller orchestras that specialize in historical performance practice of early music.

As the first modern conductor shall be the composer and conductor Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), the first with a roll of music, later with a baton directing the orchestra.

Hierarchy

The entire orchestra is on musical matters of the vocal leader of the first violins, the concert masters, which is itself subordinate to the conductor.

The other instrument groups ( in Concert also called registrars ) of section leaders directed that a rule (as well as the concert master ) have a deputy, with whom they share the first panel. When the winds is the one who plays the first part of the vocal leaders of the respective instruments. If woodwind and brass combined, the first oboe and first trumpet apply as principal. When percussion instrument the timpanist of the group is facing.

There are also in the strings are so-called section leader, located in the hierarchy between the concert master of the vocal leaders and the tutti players.

Orchestra are the only organizational units in the working world, where it is common that all of the employees on the admission and recruitment of new members vote Democratic. These auditions will be held during which applicants must prove their musical performance. In part, find these auditions held anonymously so that the orchestra members present not see who plays behind a silk curtain. This is to ensure that only musical aspects in the decision, but not things like gender, age or ethnic origin. Decisions about the occupation of orchestral position are occasionally rise to disputes between members of the ensemble and the conductor. The best known example is the dispute between the Berlin Philharmonic and their conductor Herbert von Karajan at the clarinetist Sabine Meyer in 1983.

Rehearsals

Contrary to popular belief find orchestral samples are not always fully staffed place ( full rehearsal ), but it can first individual samples of different voices or instrument groups ( rehearsals ) take place. This is to ensure that at most technically difficult or einzustudierenden works each group dominate their parts before they are assembled into a (heavier by audible ) whole.

Publicly funded orchestra in Germany

History

The oldest continuously existing German Orchestra is the orchestra of the Staatstheater Kassel, founded in 1502.

Until the early 1930s the work of a German orchestra musician in terms of training and existential security was regulated inconsistently. Some of the musicians came from the Stadtpfeiferei, others had a music school, some also attended a music high school. The existent essential protection in 1938 controlled by the recently introduced collective agreement. The concept of culture orchestra was with this collective agreement to a cultural policy term. The concept of the structure and the intended artistic direction of this publicly funded orchestra was coined by the then President of the Reich Chamber of Music, Peter Raabe. Closely linked with this term was the strict separation of musical life in an area of "serious concert undertakings" (Peter Raabe 1928) and a range of other European and non- European concert events. The alleged seriousness of the classical ( German ) Music was given as the reason for its eligibility because Raabe took his " role as a mediator and defender of the German cultural heritage very seriously. " This enforced by Raabe conception of the special value of " serious music " was also reflected in the musical copyright, which was also managed centrally by the President of the Reich Music Chamber. Therefore, it corresponded example, this concept of culture to prevent the obligation of a jazz orchestra at a community college, because Raabe wanted the concept of culture orchestra an antonym of " barbarism " of jazz. Although occasional big bands were founded in the context of educational institutions, there are in Germany today a cultural-political preference of strings over the jazz saxophonist, regardless of their artistic skills. Also the maintenance of the Nazi concept of culture orchestra to the present time must be described as most unfortunate. Raabe's philosophy of symphonic music had to be prioritized in the promotion of the local music scene, has been found not appreciably in question until today. The orchestra counted in Germany in respect of tariff according to a hierarchical principle different, which also included the size of the ensemble. In the context of historical performance practice enshrined in this tariff system philosophy, size and quality is to connect with each other, become questionable. First, there were the three classification groups A, B and C- band. Later seven different tariff groups were distinguished.

Current Situation

The publicly funded professional orchestras landscape of Germany with currently 133 orchestras with 9922 posts divided into four groups:

• 84 theater orchestra that mainly serve the genres of opera, operetta, musical theater of the city and state. The spectrum ranges from the large, internationally renowned opera houses in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich to the small stages in Lüneburg, Annaberg, Coburg or Hildesheim.
• 30 Concert Orchestra, who work exclusively or predominantly in the concert hall or working with an independent concert tradition at the Opera House. The leadership position here an internationally leading orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, Staatskapelle Berlin and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.
• 12 Radio or Radio Symphony Orchestra and four big bands of the ARD and the radio orchestras and choirs GmbH (Berlin), which are also concert orchestra, with an emphasis in music recordings. Maintain especially contemporary music in Germany with numerous commissioned works and world premieres. Ensembles including the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian, North German or West German Broadcasting enjoy high international prestige.
• Seven Chamber Orchestra, financed by public funds and usually work without their own wind instruments as pure string orchestra throughout the year, such as the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn and the Munich Chamber Orchestra.

Little Symphony Orchestra has been around in a cast from about 30 members, with some partially blowers are only singly occupied. Medium to large orchestra usually have between 66 to over 100 members. The largest German orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra with 185 posts; It does, however, also in three formations: a concert at the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Opera Orchestra at the Leipzig Opera and cantata as Orchestra in Leipzig's St. Thomas Church, the long-standing workplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. The second largest, with currently 159 posts orchestra is the Staatskapelle Dresden. The number of posts is not necessarily the same as the number of musicians employed there, because by the establishment of part-time positions, the original concept has been expanded. Many orchestras undertake to extend their occupation of members of other orchestras, which are then each part-time work in their respective neighboring cities.

The German Orchestra Association ( DOV) is an influential cultural and political institution that is mainly active as a national interest group of culture orchestra musicians. Furthermore, the DOV is committed to improve the financial conditions for the avocation of culture orchestra musicians as a lecturer at music colleges.

Amateur Orchestra, Youth Symphony Orchestra

• National Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste, orchestra in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar
• West-Eastern Divan Orchestra