The instruments of the orchestra.
An
orchestra is a musical group or ensemble used most often in
classical music.
A full size orchestra (about 104 players) may
sometimes be called a symphony orchestra. The actual number of musicians
employed in a particular performance will vary according to the work being
played. A chamber orchestra might employ as many as fifty members,
although some are much smaller than that.
The typical symphony orchestra consists of four
groups of similar musical instruments, generally appearing in the musical
score in the following order
Woodwinds: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais,
(or English horn), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon.
Brass: 2 to 6 horns, 2 to 5 trumpets, 2 trombones,
bass trombone, tuba
Percussion: timpani, snare drum, bass drum, celesta,
etc.
Strings: 1 or 2 harps, 16 to
30 (or more) violins, 8 to 12 (or more) violas, 8 to 12 (or more) cellos,
5 to 8 (or more) double basses, and piano.
Occasionally, traditional wind ensemble instruments
appear, such as the saxophone and euphonium.
