Year 10 - Music
The orchestra
The Western Classical Tradition (1600-1910)
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces pupils to the Western Classical Tradition. It explores chamber, orchestral and vocal ensembles, musical features and key composers from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, and takes a broad look at tonality and harmony across these periods.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify the instruments of the orchestra and can explain how the orchestra developed through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods.
Key Notes
- Between 1600 and 1910 the number of players and variety of instruments in the orchestra increased dramatically.
- The Baroque orchestra was mostly strings with a few woodwind or brass instruments and a harpsichord.
- The Classical orchestra was larger, with more woodwind, brass and percussion and no harpsichord.
- The huge Romantic orchestra had large woodwind, brass and percussion sections, giving composers many timbres to exploit.
- As the orchestra increased in size, woodwind, brass and percussion took on more important roles.
Vocabulary To Learn
- orchestra: a large ensemble that is central to the Western Classical Tradition, consisting of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments
- strings: instruments with strings that are normally played with a bow, including the violin, viola, cello and double bass
- woodwind: instruments that produce sound through blown air, including the flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon
- brass: metal instruments with valves or slides that produce sound with air, including the trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba
- percussion: instruments that produce sound by being struck or hit, including drums, cymbals, xylophones and many others
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The orchestra has only grown through the adding of more of the same instruments.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Between 1600 and 1910 the number of players and variety of instruments in the orchestra increased dramatically. The Baroque orchestra was mostly strings with a few woodwind or brass instruments and a harpsichord.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'orchestra'
a large ensemble that is central to the Western Classical Tradition, consisting of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The orchestra has only grown through the adding of more of the same instruments. Correction: The number of players has increased, but the variety of instruments has also increased. Many different instruments have been added to the orchestra since the 1600s, including brass, woodwind, percussion and keyboard instruments.
More Lessons In This Unit
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