The Orchestra Research Paper

“Think instruments can only be made of wood or brass? An orchestra called the Vegetable Orchestra hails from Vienna, and all the instruments are all made from various vegetables” (Interesting Facts about Orchestras). Instruments have advanced greatly over the years, and that has affected the size and the sound of the orchestra. The orchestra started off as small groups of instrumentalists, playing for important occasions. As time went on, it grew in size and the importance level changed. The orchestra started off as performances for important occasions, then it was entertainment for the rich, and finally, it became entertainment for everyone. The sound of the orchestra has also changed. Different instruments, the amount in and of each section …show more content…
Typically “The early symphonies were in three movements (fast-slow-fast) and fairly short (15-20 minutes)” (The Classical Era). Since the pieces were shorter, the length of the performance was shorter. Orchestras typically perform more than one piece of music, but there was not as much variety of music during that time since the orchestra was new. Also, the orchestra was not used for entertainment; therefore, it was shorter. “The origins of the orchestra can be seen in the 16th century in two configurations; the separate consorts of instruments in the major courts; and the special assemblies of various instruments for important ceremonies, especially the weddings and funerals of royalty” (Sadie, 823). The orchestra usually performed for royalty only during the Baroque Period. Orchestras performed for major courts, weddings, and funerals of royal families. Weddings and funerals are not generally considered entertainment, so the orchestra did not have to put on a big performance. During the Baroque Period, the orchestra was at its beginning and was not thoroughly …show more content…
The orchestra got its start during the Baroque Period. During that period, the orchestra was small, unorganized, and only performed for royal ceremonial purposes. The orchestra was new because it was a new art form and it was very unorganized. During the Classical Period, the orchestra got its form. During that period, the orchestra also grew in size during that time period. The final time period is the Romantic Period. A lot of new instruments were added during the Romantic Period. Because of those new instruments the music style and size of the orchestra changed. The music told a story and played with the audience's emotions. The new instruments also helped create the orchestra's huge size. The Classical and Romantic orchestras helped shape the orchestra into what it is today. The orchestra changed a lot during those time periods and is still continuing to change to this