The Development of the Orchestra

Authors Avatar

Zacc Rodwell        

The Development of the Orchestra

The orchestra as we know it now did not exist before the 17th century. In this century the orchestra was just beginning (and developing on from the renaissance era where orchestra’s had only just began to be used).

Factors influencing this development include instrumental technology, playing techniques, economics, the role of music directors and changes in musical tastes. A major theme though is how ensembles try to move with the times yet remain faithful to tradition - a conflict orchestras face today. (For example, when referring to a technique used back in the baroque/classical era, they have to choose whether to use a modern or traditional version of the instrument.)

The violin family, violin, viola, cello and bass, replaced the viols that were previously used in the renaissance era, and this new kind of string section became central to the Baroque orchestra. This century also showed the favouring of strings for their particular sound, which developed into the heart of the orchestra. Improvements occurred in the construction of instruments, the progress of music compositions, and the development in the technique of performance.

Musical leadership in the Baroque orchestra came from the keyboard instruments, with the harpsichordist, or sometimes the organist, acting as leader. For example, when Bach worked with an orchestra, he would sit at the organ or harpsichord and give cues from his bench.

Join now!

Woodwind did appear in the earliest orchestras, though infrequently and secondary to the strings - usually it would include two oboes and a bassoon, with flutes sometimes replacing the oboes. Throughout the baroque period, the basso continuo was an essential part of the scoring. The treble and bass were strongly emphasized, while the middle parts were often left to the continuo alone. The orchestra was rather small at this time; Bach had as few as 18 players, and Handel usually used about 30.

As time continued, the classical orchestra became more established through the disuse of the continuo and the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay