(hence the specific name). Later, "symphonic" began to be called in general any music for a given instrumental composition - including that created by composers of world national schools.

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  The symphony orchestra consists of instruments whose history is inextricably linked with the history of the music of Western Europe. Music that is written for a symphony orchestra (also called "symphonic") usually takes into account the style (genre specificity, musical language, up to the limitations imposed by the design features of this instrument) that has developed within the framework of European musical culture.

  The basis of the symphony orchestra is made up of four groups of instruments: strings bowed, wood and brass winds, percussion. In some cases, other instruments are also included in the orchestra (first of all, the harp, as well as the piano, organ, celesta, harpsichord).

  The full size orchestra required to perform some of the great works of the 19th and 20th centuries can include up to 110 musicians. Small orchestras can consist of no more than fifty performers: such groups either work in small towns where the existence of a full-scale orchestra is not economically feasible, or they specialize in the performance of earlier music designed for small ensembles and works intended by composers for more chamber music. , and can be called chamber orchestras. Sometimes the number of wind instruments represented in it is used to indicate the size of the orchestra: the composition of the orchestra, in which two flutists, two oboists play (there are also two pipes, and the horn can be one or two pairs), etc., is called a pair, the composition with three flutists, etc. - triple. In a triple composition, its variety is added to a pair of basic woodwind instruments: for flutes - a piccolo flute, for oboes - an English horn, for clarinets - bass clarinet, for bassoons - contrabassoon. At the same time, a performer on these types of instruments can combine them with the main type, that is, a flutist-piccolo player can also play on the third flute, a performer on the English horn - on the third oboe, etc. With a further increase in the composition (quadruple, five) in groups of woodwind instruments can be added alto flute, small clarinet (piccolo) in Es, oboe d'amour, and in groups of brass wind instruments - Wagner (horn) tubas, bass trumpet or piccolo trumpet, different types of bass tubas, chimbasso.

  The origins of the symphony orchestra can be traced back to the European instrumental music-making of the 16th century, linking its history with the improvement of stringed instruments. In the Baroque era, the orchestra could not be imagined without a harpsichord, often included a lute, mandolins. The "classical" composition of the symphony orchestra was formed in the scores of L. van Beethoven and is called "Beethovenian" in musicological literature. This orchestra, in addition to stringed bowed instruments, which occupied a leading position in it - violins, violas, cellos and double basses (the so-called bow quintet, since violins are divided into first and second ones), - included paired compositions of woodwind instruments (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons) and a group of brass winds (2, 3 or 4 horns and 2 trumpets); percussion were represented by timpani.

  In the second half of the 19th century, the "Beethoven" orchestra was already classified as a small symphony; the large composition of the orchestra, which was also initiated by Beethoven, in his Ninth Symphony (1824), differed from the small one not only in the expanded composition of each section, but also in some additional instruments: a small flute, contrabassoon, trombones, triangle, cymbals and bass drum appeared in it . Later, in the era of romanticism, harps, tubas, cor anglais, bells appeared in the symphony orchestra. Already in the 40s of the 19th century, the orchestra of the Berlin Opera, if necessary, could provide a composition of 14 first and 14 second violins, 8 violas, 10 cellos, 8 double basses, 4 of each of the wood and brass wind instruments, timpani, bass drum, cymbals and 2 harps. Berlioz, in a treatise on instrumentation, described an even larger orchestra, which was necessary for the performance of his own scores. An even greater number of instruments include the Wagner Orchestra.

  Along the ramp are the 1st violins (left) and cellos (right). The 2nd violins sit behind the first, the violas sit behind the cellos on the right. The double basses are behind the cellos. In the middle of the stage are two rows of woodwind instruments (flutes, oboes and clarinets, bassoons). Behind them are brass instruments - trumpets, horns, trombones and tuba. Percussion instruments are located farthest from the listener - from the left edge to the center of the stage, where timpani are usually located. The harps are on the left side of the conductor.

  german seating differs in that the cellos change places with 2 violins, and the double basses - on the left. Brass instruments move to the right, into the depths of the stage, and the horns move to the left. Drums with this layout are located closer to the right wings.

  The conductor decides how to seat the orchestra.

  The symphony orchestra consists of three groups of musical instruments: strings (violins, violas, cellos, double basses), winds (brass and wood) and a group of percussion instruments. The number of musicians in groups may vary depending on the piece being performed. Often the composition of a symphony orchestra is expanded, additional and atypical musical instruments are introduced: harp, celesta, saxophone, etc. The number of musicians of a symphony orchestra in some cases can exceed 200 musicians!

  Depending on the number of musicians in groups, a small and a large symphony orchestra are distinguished; among the varieties of small, there are theater orchestras participating in the musical accompaniment of operas and ballets.

  Chamber

  Such an orchestra differs from a symphony by a significantly smaller composition of musicians and a smaller variety of groups of instruments. In the chamber orchestra, the number of wind and percussion instruments has also been reduced.

  String

  This orchestra consists only of stringed bowed instruments - violin, viola, cello, double bass.

  Wind

  The composition of the brass band includes a variety of wind instruments - wood and brass, as well as a group of percussion instruments. The brass band includes, along with musical instruments characteristic of a symphony orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba), and specific instruments (wind alto, tenor, baritone, euphonium, flugelhorn, sousaphone and etc.), which are not found in other types of orchestras.

  In our country, military brass bands are very popular, performing, along with pop and jazz compositions, special applied military music: fanfares, marches, hymns and the so-called garden and park repertoire - waltzes and old marches. Brass bands are much more mobile than symphony and chamber bands, they can play music while moving. There is a special genre of performance - an orchestral defile, in which the performance of music by a brass band is combined with the simultaneous performance of complex choreographic performances by musicians.

  In large opera and ballet theaters, you can find special brass bands - theatrical bands. Gangs participate directly in the stage production itself, where, according to the plot, the musicians are acting characters.

  Pop

  As a rule, this is a special composition of a small symphony orchestra (variety symphony orchestra), which includes, among other things, a group of saxophones, specific keyboards, electronic instruments (synthesizer, electric guitar, etc.) and a pop rhythm section.

  Jazz

  A jazz orchestra (band) consists, as a rule, of a wind group, which includes groups of trumpets, trombones and saxophones expanded compared to other orchestras, a group of strings, represented by violins and double bass, as well as a jazz rhythm section.

  Orchestra of Folk Instruments

  One of the variants of the folk ensemble is the orchestra of Russian folk instruments. It consists of groups of balalaikas and domras, includes gusli, button accordions, special Russian wind instruments - horns and zhaleika. Such orchestras often include instruments typical of a symphony orchestra - flutes, oboe, horns and percussion instruments. The idea of ​​creating such an orchestra was proposed by the balalaika player Vasily Andreev at the end of the 19th century.

  The orchestra of Russian folk instruments is not the only type of folk ensembles. There are, for example, Scottish bagpipe orchestras, Mexican wedding orchestras, in which there is a group of various guitars, trumpets, ethnic percussion, etc.

  Symphony orchestra instruments

  "Guests of the Orchestra"

  AT symphony orchestra there are instruments that sound in some works, but in others they may not be, so they are sometimes called " orchestra guests ". These include piano, harpsichord, organ and others. Let's take a closer look at some of them.

  Percussion instruments of a symphony orchestra

  Percussion instruments are the oldest musical instruments. Initially, they arose, of course, in folk music. And only many years later, professional musical instruments appeared, which are part of one of the four groups of the symphony orchestra. You can play a melody on some percussion instruments (let's call them melodic). These include bells, xylophone, celesta and others.

  The second group includes noise instruments (snare drum, bass drum, castanets, tambourine and others).

  This group is not dominant in a symphony orchestra, but not infrequently the sound of these instruments is an important means of musical expression.

  If in the orchestras of the 18th century mainly timpani, a large and a snare drum were used, then in the music of the 19th and especially the 20th centuries the composition of the percussion group expanded significantly, and they began to play a more significant role in the works.

  Listen to a video lesson on this topic to get to know the representatives of this group better.

  Brass instruments of the symphony orchestra. Video lesson.

  Group brass instruments of the symphony orchestra small in composition. But it immediately attracts attention with a festive, solemn sound of metal. The art of blowing a horn or a conch was already known in ancient times. Subsequently, people learned to make tools similar to a horn and intended for military and hunting purposes.

  These instruments are named after the metal they are made from. Most often it is a special alloy, consisting of 60% copper, 10% nickel, 30% zinc, or silver. But in the old days, some of them were made from horn, shell or bone.

  There was a time when these instruments were made of precious metals, and musicians believed that precious metals give the timbre of the instrument a special shade: silver makes the sound fuller, gold - soft, platinum - deep. But these differences, if they exist, are noticeable mainly only to the musicians themselves. Later, they decided to conduct an unusual experiment. They took a piece of rubber hose, the wall thickness and other dimensions of which corresponded to the clarinet tube, made holes in it and built a clarinet mouthpiece into it. The improvised clarinet sounded quite similar to the real one.

  If the sound of woodwinds often reminds us of a shepherd's flute, then brass instruments are associated in our minds with military signals and marches. And this is not accidental, since brass instruments are used in military brass bands. From there they came to the symphony orchestra.

  Many people think that the trumpet sounds because it is blown. If you try to do this, then most likely you will only get a hiss. In brass instruments, like woodwinds, there is no reed, passing through which the air begins to oscillate, making a sound. For brass, the musician's own lips are used as a vibrator. He folds them roughly the way bassoon or oboe reeds are folded, and the recess in the mouthpiece helps to do this. Such a certain position of the lips when playing is called the embouchure, and the instruments are called embouchure.

  The trumpet is not blown so that the air from the lungs of the musician passes through it. Yes, this is sometimes impossible: the volume of our lungs is approximately four liters of air, and if we compare them with the volume of a bass helicon, it becomes clear that a person cannot fill it with air with one exhalation. When playing wind instruments, the musician's breathing only helps to excite the vibrations of the air that is already in the pipe.

  Let's take a look at brass instruments.

  FRENCH HORN. German Waldhorn - forest horn. This is the literal translation of the name of this instrument. The ancestor of the horn was hunting horns, which were blown when it was necessary to give a signal during a hunt or some solemn event, to announce the gathering of troops. In order to make the sound louder and stronger, so that it could be heard at a great distance, the horn began to be lengthened. But playing such a long tube was inconvenient. Therefore, the tube of the instrument began to be “twisted”. First there was one turn, then two, then three. The modern French horn is a narrow tube, about three meters long, rolled into a circle with a cone-shaped extension at the end, turning into a wide bell.

  The location of the horn when playing is unusual - with the bell down, to the musician's right hand, which rests with the palm of the hand against the wall of the bell, slightly covering it. This position was introduced by the Dresden horn player Anton Gampel around 1750, so that it would be easier to control the sound of the horn by inserting the hand into the bell. This technique is widely used by modern horn players. The timbre of the horn is influenced by the shape of the mouthpiece, the cup, as in other brass instruments.

  The horn plays a very important role in the orchestra. Her voice is soft and noble. It can convey both a sad and solemn mood, it can sound caustic and derisive. It is primarily an orchestral instrument, but there is also solo literature for it. In the performance of the horn, you can hear a melodious, soulful melody, which, for example, sounds at the beginning of the second part of P.I. Tchaikovsky. In the Manfred symphony, Tchaikovsky commissioned four ffff horns to play the main musical theme, which paints a musical portrait of the hero. And in the "Waltz of the Flowers" from the ballet "The Nutcracker" the horn quartet sounds soft and melodious. The concerto for horn and orchestra by R. M. Gliere is very popular.

  PIPE - one of the most ancient brass instruments. Even in the "Old Testament" mention is made of the use of pipes in religious ceremonies. The annals of the siege of Kyiv by the Pechenegs in 968 speak of the important role of pipes in the fighting of the Russian army. The trumpet has been used as a signaling instrument by many peoples since ancient times. She warned of danger, supported the courage of warriors in battle, opened solemn ceremonies, and called for attention.

  

  In ancient times, a warrior stood on guard on the tower of the fortress wall of the city of Krakow in Poland. Vigilantly he looked into the distance: whether the enemy would appear. In his hands he held a copper pipe to give a signal in case of danger. And then one day he saw in the distance an approaching enemy army. The watchman began to play, and an alarm sounded over Krakow. A cloud of arrows flew at the sentinel. One of them pierced the trumpeter's chest. Gathering all his strength, he finished playing the signal. Only at the last sound the trumpet fell out of his hands.

  For many centuries, the memory of the hero who saved his city at the cost of his life has been carefully preserved among the people. And now the callsigns of Krakow are the ancient war signal of the trumpet, breaking off at the last sound.

  At the beginning of the XVII century. The trumpet entered the opera orchestra. At first, she played a modest role: only occasionally played short signals, participated in the accompaniment chords. At that time, only simple melodies built on the sounds of a triad could be played on it. But over time, the instrument was improved, its range increased, it became possible to play complex and expressive parts on the trumpet. Her bright sound began to attract the attention of composers. And the trumpet sounded in solemn, heroic, and sometimes in lyrical episodes. In the XVIII century. she already occupied a prominent place in the symphony and brass bands.

  The next highest brass instrument is TROMBONE. Its name comes from the Italian word tromba (trumpet), supplemented by the magnifying suffix one. In the literal sense, this name can be translated as "trumpets". And indeed it is. In the XV century. the pipe was greatly lengthened, for which they made a retractable tube-scene. This is how the trombone was born.

  

  The trombone has the same ancestors as the trumpet, but in a sense, the trombone turned out to be happier - it was a chromatic instrument from birth, so it almost did not change. The trumpet of the trombone, narrowing and curving, passes into a narrow cylindrical tube, on which a sliding mechanism is put on. It consists of two fixed tubes along which a U-shaped slide tube slides. By moving the slide with his right hand, the trombonist can smoothly change the pitch, performing glissando, and also extract any sounds with equal ease.

  The trombone takes pride of place in the group of brass instruments. He has a very strong voice, easily covering the sound of the entire orchestra. And when several trombones play together, it gives solemnity and brilliance to the music. The trombone succeeds very well in heroic, tragic melodies. But most often, three trombones and a tuba, united in one group, play chords in the orchestra, acting as an accompaniment.

  TUBA- the lowest sounding instrument of the brass group. Its range is from mi counteroctave to F of the first octave, its timbre is severe, massive. Unlike other instruments of this group, the tuba is relatively young. She was born in Germany in 1835 because a brass band needed a good steady bass. It consists of pipes of different sizes, a bell, a mouthpiece and valves.

  

  As a rule, the role of the tuba in the orchestra is limited to doubling an octave below the part of the third trombone. It serves as the foundation of the brass group, like the double bass of the strings. It is the tuba that “cements” all the music. It is generally accepted that this instrument is clumsy and motionless. Indeed, it is very difficult to play it. A large air flow is required, so the performer sometimes has to breathe on every sound. But the tuba can also be played quickly. True, her sound is very thick, strong, juicy, and fast music with such a sound will be heavy. The tuba very well conveys the image of an elephant in Saint-Saens' play "The Elephant" from the suite "Carnival of the Animals".

  Of course, tuba solo episodes are very rare in orchestral works. One of them is the play "Cattle" from the suite "Pictures at an Exhibition" by M. Mussorgsky, orchestrated by M. Ravel.

  We repeat once again that the group of brass instruments includes:

  trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba.

  String instruments of a symphony orchestra. Video lesson.

  Stringed instruments in the symphony orchestra are the largest group. They are called string instruments because they are most often played with a bow, in contrast to stringed folk instruments, on which the sound is extracted with a pinch. There are folk instrument orchestras in every country, but I think you understand that the folk instrument orchestras of different countries will consist of different instruments, because. Folk instruments are different for different nations.

  For example, a very common Ukrainian folk instrument is bandura, therefore in Ukraine there is bandura orchestras, in Belarus, for example, cymbals are a common folk instrument, so they will definitely be part of a folk orchestra.

  But there is an orchestra, which, no matter what country we come to, will be the same - this Symphony Orchestra.

  

  And they play a major role bowed string instruments which we are going to meet today.

  

  Violins are one of the most important instruments of this group.

  

  The violin has a rather long prehistory, which we will not delve into, we will only note that the viol's predecessor was the viola, which, in turn, was formed from the merger of several instruments. The viola, unlike the violin, was most often held not on the shoulder, but on the knee. Look at a 15th century painting of a viol playing

  

  The shape of the violin was finally established by the 16th century. And at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, masters appeared who learned how to make violins, the sound of which they still cannot repeat, despite the fact that science and technology have stepped far ahead.

  Not a single musical instrument has attracted such close attention as the violin. It was studied by mathematicians, physicists, chemists, acousticians and many other scientists who wanted to unravel the secret of the magnificent sound of violins made by the Italian masters Stradivari, Amati, Guarneri.

  There were many legends that explained the wonderful sound of violins in their own way. Some of them said that in order to make a good violin, you need to choose a tree in the forest on which birds land, and only from such a tree can a good violin be made.

  There were allegations that these violins were covered with a special varnish, the secret of which nobody knew. It was also said that it was necessary to observe strict mathematical proportions of the parts of the violin.

  But when studying, for example, Stradivari violins, all these statements were refuted by scientists. It turned out that Stradivari did not harvest wood, but bought boards for violins from artisans.

  He even shared his lacquer recipe with foreigners who sometimes came to see him.

  Studying the ratios of the parts of various violins, they could not find any “magic” regularity, thanks to which these violins would sound good. Obviously the secret was quite different.

  Stradivari made his first violin at the age of 11, and the last shortly before his death, and he died at 93, and every day throughout his life he worked from dawn to dusk. And, of course, a great talent multiplied by a huge work led to such results. Let's now get acquainted in more detail with the first of the four representatives of the string group.

  Violin. She is often referred to as the "queen of the band".

  If you look closely at its shape, you can find in it a resemblance to the human figure.

  It has two f-shaped holes on its body. These are eps.

  The violin has 4 strings tuned to the notes: mi, la, re, sol. The range of the violin is from the salt of a small octave to the salt of the 4th octave. If you look at the violinist playing, it may seem that he is holding the violin with his left hand. But it's not. A special device is attached to the body of the violin, the violinist puts the violin on his left shoulder and presses it with his chin.

  The violin is most often played with a bow. If you pluck a violin string, the sound will quickly die out, but when you lead the strings with a bow, the sound lasts for a long time, does not die out. The bow is a cane with horsehair stretched. So that the hair of the bow is not smooth, does not slide along the strings, but makes them vibrate, they are rubbed before playing, most often with rosin.

  The violin often performs as a solo instrument.

  There have been many outstanding famous violinists in history, one of whom was Nicolo Paganini.

  

  He was accused of witchcraft, because they could not believe that a simple person could play the violin like that.

  They say that…

  One day a blind music teacher and a friend came to Paganini's concert. Listening to Paganini play, he asked a friend: "How many people are playing on stage?" Having learned that one musician was playing, he grabbed his friend by the hand and dragged him to the exit, saying that a simple person cannot play like that, this is the devil.

  Paganini was not only an outstanding violinist, but also a composer.

  The violin can be the soloist in the orchestra. For example, in Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonic suite Scheherazade, the violin very well conveys the image of the narrator Scheherazade.

  In a symphony orchestra there can be 30 or more violins, in the 3rd part of the symphonic suite "Scheherazade" you can hear how beautiful and rich the string group of instruments will sound.

  If you start playing the violins not with a bow, but with a pinch (this way of playing is called pizzicato), then you can convey the sound of folk instruments (balalaika, domra). When composers want to convey a folk flavor, portray the playing of folk instruments, they use this playing technique.

  Thus, the first representative of the string group in a symphony orchestra is violin

  The next instrument of the string group is alto.

  
  

  Outwardly, it is very similar to a violin, only a little larger. He is also held on his shoulder, pressing his chin, and played, like the violin, with a bow.

  If you look at the performer from afar, it is difficult to distinguish him from the violin.

  If the lowest sound of the violin is the salt of a small octave, then the lowest sound of the viola is up to a small octave, i.e. five steps down. The viola plays an important role in the orchestra, but is rarely assigned solo parts. Viola players are not often found either, although the situation has changed recently. If earlier viola performers played mainly works written for the violin, now more and more often composers began to create works for the viola. One of the outstanding violists of our time is Yuri Bashmet, who is not only a soloist, but also a conductor, creator of the Moscow Soloists chamber orchestra.

  If the viola differs slightly in appearance and way of playing from the violin, then this cannot be said about the next instrument that we will meet with you.

  Cello differs from the violin not only in its significantly larger size, but also in the way it is played.

  If you look at a photograph of one cello, then without realizing its size, it is very difficult to get an idea about this instrument. In its appearance, it is very similar to a violin, only much larger in size. The cellist plays sitting on a chair, and the cello stands in front of him on the floor on a special retractable "leg", on a metal rod that rests on the floor.

  

  If the violin can be compared with a high female voice, then the cello is a low male voice - melodious, velvety, rich. It also has 4 strings and is almost always played with a bow. The cello, unlike the viola, is much more often a solo instrument; it conveys sadness, grief, and deep feelings especially well.

  An outstanding cellist and conductor of the 20th century was Mstislav Rostropovich, whom you see in the photo, who will perform a fragment of Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto in the video lesson.

  And the last representative of the string group is the double bass. It is the largest and lowest sounding instrument. He plays a very important role in the orchestra, being, as it were, the foundation of the orchestra. If you look closely at its shape, you will notice that it differs from all previous stringed instruments in more sloping "shoulders", thereby more resembling a viol. The double bass is often used in jazz and pop orchestras, but it is played there with a pluck, i.e. in a way called pizzicato. As a solo instrument, the double bass does not often perform, although some double bassists have achieved very high skill on this instrument.

  

  In the video lesson, there will be a play by Camille Saint-Saens from the suite "Carnival of the Animals", which is called "The Elephant". The low register of the double bass very well conveys the image of this large animal here.

  Let's now repeat once again what instruments are part of the string instruments of a symphony orchestra.

  This is a violin, viola, cello and double bass

  Orchestra - a large group of musical instruments performing works specially designed for this composition.

  Depending on the composition, orchestras have different, expressive, timbre and dynamic capabilities and have different names:

  • symphony orchestra (large and small),
  • chamber, orchestra of folk instruments,
  • wind,
  • pop,
  • jazz.

  In a modern symphony orchestra, instruments are divided into the following groups:

  I. String-bowed: violins, violas, cellos, double basses.
  II. Woodwinds: flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons.
  III. Brass: horns, trumpets, trombones, tubas.
  IV. Drums:

  a) noise: castanets, rattles, maracas, scourge, tom-toms, drums (large and small). Their parts are recorded on one musical line – "thread".
  b) with a certain pitch: timpani, cymbals, triangle, bell, xylophone, vibraphone, celesta.

  V. Keyboards: piano, organ, harpsichord, clavichord.
  VI. Extension group: harp.

  The full sound of the orchestra is called “ tutti " - ("all").

  Conductor - (from French - “manage, manage”) manages a team of musicians - performers, he owns the artistic interpretation of the work.

  On the console in front of the conductor lies - score (complete musical notation of all parts of orchestral instruments).

  The instrument parts of each group are recorded one below the other, starting with the highest sounding instruments and ending with the lowest.

  An arrangement of orchestral music for a piano performer is called clavier .

  Characteristics of the groups of the symphony orchestra

  I. String-bowed

  These are instruments similar in appearance and coloring of sound (timbre). In addition, their sound is extracted with a bow. Hence the name. The most virtuoso and expressive instrument of this group is violin . It sounds like a singer's voice. It has a gentle, singing timbre. The violin is usually entrusted with the main melody of the work. The orchestra has I and II violins. They play different parts.
  Alto it looks like a violin, but it is not much larger in size and has a more muffled, matte sound /
  Cello can be called a "big violin". This instrument is not on the shoulder, like a violin or viola, but rests on a stand that touches the floor. The cello sound is low, but at the same time soft, velvety, noble.
  The largest instrument in this group is double bass . They play it while sitting, because it is taller than a person. This instrument is rarely used as a soloist. His sound is the lowest, humming in this group.
  The string-bow group in the orchestra is the leader in the orchestra. It has enormous timbre and technical capabilities.

  II. Woodwinds

  

  Wood is used to make wooden tools. They are called wind instruments because they produce sound by blowing air into the instrument.
  Flute (from Italian means “wind, breath”). The sound of the flute is transparent, sonorous, cold.
  It has a melodious, rich, warm, but somewhat nasal sound oboe.
  Has a variety of timbres clarinet. This quality allows him to perform dramatic, lyrical, scherzo paintings.
  Performs the bass part bassoon - an instrument with a thick, slightly hoarse timbre.
  The lowest bassoon has a name contrabassoon .
  The group of woodwind instruments is widely used for sketching pictures of nature, lyrical episodes.

  III. Brass

  

  For the manufacture of copper-wind instruments, copper metals (copper, brass, etc.) are used.
  Powerfully and solemnly, brilliantly and brightly, the whole group of brass-wind instruments sounds in the orchestra.
  Has a clear "voice" pipe . The loud sound of the trumpet is heard even when the whole orchestra is playing. Often the trumpet has a solo part.
  French horn (“forest horn”) can be used in pastoral music.
  At the moment of the highest tension in a piece of music, especially of a dramatic nature, along with pipes, they play trombones.
  The lowest brass instrument in the orchestra - tuba. It is often played in combination with other instruments.

  The task of percussion instruments- enhance the sonority of the orchestra, make it more colorful, show the expressiveness and variety of rhythm.

  

  This is a large, colorful and diverse group, which is united by a common way of extracting sound - a blow. That is, by their nature they are not melodic. Their main purpose is to emphasize the rhythm, enhance the overall sonority of the orchestra and complement, decorate it with various effects. Only the timpani are a permanent member of the orchestra. Starting from the 19th century, the shock group began to replenish rapidly. Bass and snare drums, cymbals and triangles, and then tambourine, tom-tom, bells and bells, xylophone and celesta, vibraphone. But these instruments were used only sporadically.

  

  A characteristic feature of a number of instruments is the presence of white and black keys, which are collectively called a keyboard or, for an organ, a manual.
  Main keyboard instruments: organ (relatives - portable , positive ), clavichord (related - spinet in Italy and virginal in England), harpsichord, piano (varieties - piano and piano ).
  According to the sound source, keyboard instruments are divided into two groups. The first group includes instruments with strings, the second group includes organ-type instruments. Instead of strings, they have pipes of various shapes.
  piano This is an instrument in which both loud (forte) and quiet (piano) sounds were extracted with the help of hammers. Hence the name of the instrument.
  Timbre harpsichord - silvery, the sound is not loud, of the same strength.
  Organ - the largest musical instrument. They play it, like the piano, by pressing the keys. The entire front part of the organ was decorated in the old days with fine artistic carvings. Behind him are thousands of pipes of various shapes, each with its own distinct timbre. Consequently, the organ emits both the highest and lowest sounds that the human ear can only catch.

  VI. A frequent member of the symphony orchestra is string-plucked tool - harp , which is a gilded frame with stretched strings. The harp has a gentle, transparent timbre. Its sound creates a magical flavor.

  Timbre characteristics of instruments

  Types of orchestras

  Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments

  The composition of such an orchestra includes the main groups:

  • String plucked:
    • domra, balalaika, gusli
  • Brass:
    • flute, zhaleyka, Vladimir horns
  • Pneumatic reed:
    • bayans, harmonicas
  • • tambourines and drums
  • Additional tools:
    • flute, oboe and their varieties

  Orchestra of Belarusian Folk Instruments

  Approximate composition:

  • Stringed instruments:
    • harp, violin, basset
  • Wind instruments:
    • Svirel, zhaleyka, duda, pipe, horn
  • • drums and cymbals
  • Accordion - (or multi-timbre, ready-to-select button accordion) is a reed, pneumatic (“air”) keyboard instrument. It got its name from the name of the draene - the Russian legendary singer - storyteller Bayan. This instrument has buttons on both sides, on which the performer plays a melody from the right moan, and accompaniment from the left.
    Bayans are the most widespread in modern concert performance. Having special switches of timbre registers in the left keyboard, which make it possible to change the timbre of the instrument, change the color of the sound.
    There are also electronic button accordions, which have unlimited sound power and a very large number of timbre colors.
  • Balalaika - a relative of the lute, mandolin, guitar. Musical symbol of the Russian people. It is a stringed plucked instrument. She has a wooden triangular body and a long neck, on which the strings are pulled. The sound is extracted by striking all the strings with the index finger or by plucking. There are several types of balalaikas: piccolo, prima, second, viola, bass and double bass.
  • Harmonic (accordion, accordion) - a wind musical instrument that has become widespread in many countries.
    It is equipped with furs and a keypad. A characteristic feature of the instrument: the ability to change the pitch due to a change in the tension of the movement of the bellows.
    Another type of harmonica is accordion . On one side of the accordion there are keys, like a piano, they play a melody, on the other - several rows of buttons for accompaniment. When you press several of them, a whole chord sounds. Hence the name accordion.
  • Domra - a bit like a balalaika, only its body is oval, pear-shaped, and the strings are tuned in fourths.
  • Cymbals - a stringed percussion instrument, is a low box in the shape of a trapezoid or a wooden frame, over which strings are stretched. The instrument is played with sticks or hammers. The gentle sound of cymbals in timbre resembles the sound of a harp.
  • Guitar - one of the few musical instruments on which the sound is prepared and extracted with the fingers.
  • Gusli - an old Russian stringed plucked instrument.

  Brass band

  A brass band is a group of musicians who play various wind and percussion instruments.
  According to their composition, the instruments of a modern brass band are divided into small brass orchestra, small mixed, medium mixed and large mixed.
  The basis of the small copper orchestra is made up of: cornets, altos, tenors, baritones, basses.
  With the addition of woodwinds (flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones, bassoons), as well as trumpets, horns, trombones and percussion instruments to this group, small mixed, medium, large mixed compositions are formed.

  Variety Orchestra

  The composition of this orchestra includes traditional groups of instruments of a symphony orchestra - woodwinds - horns and strings (violin, viola, cello).

  Jazz orchestra (jazz band)

  This orchestra includes trumpets, clarinets, trombones and a “rhythm section” (banjo, guitar, double bass, drums and piano).

  

  Materials used in the work:

  1. Z.Osovitskaya, A.Kazarinova In the world of music. First year of study. M., “Music”, 1996.
  2. M. Shonikova Musical Literature. Rostov-on-Don, 2003.
  3. Ya.Ostrovskaya, L.Frolova Musical literature in definitions and musical examples. SPb., 2004.
  4. M.F. musical kingdom. Minsk, 2002.

  Composition of a modern symphony orchestra

  A modern symphony orchestra consists of 4 main groups. The foundation of the orchestra is a string group (violins, violas, cellos, double basses). In most cases, strings are the main carriers of the melodic beginning in the orchestra. The number of musicians playing strings is approximately 2/3 of the entire band. The group of woodwind instruments includes flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons. Each of them usually has an independent party. Yielding to bowed ones in timbre saturation, dynamic properties and a variety of playing techniques, wind instruments have great power, compact sound, bright colorful hues. The third group of orchestra instruments is brass (horn, trumpet, trombone, trumpet). They bring new bright colors to the orchestra, enriching its dynamic capabilities, giving power and brilliance to the sound, and also serve as a bass and rhythmic support. Percussion instruments are becoming increasingly important in the symphony orchestra. Their main function is rhythmic. In addition, they create a special sound and noise background, complement and decorate the orchestral palette with color effects. According to the nature of the sound, drums are divided into 2 types: some have a certain pitch (timpani, bells, xylophone, bells, etc.), others lack an exact pitch (triangle, tambourine, small and large drum, cymbals). Of the instruments that are not included in the main groups, the role of the harp is the most significant. Occasionally, composers include the celesta, piano, saxophone, organ and other instruments in the orchestra. Woodwinds

  FLUTE - one of the oldest instruments in the world, known in antiquity - in Egypt, Greece and Rome. Since ancient times, people have learned to extract musical sounds from a cut reed, closed at one end. This primitive musical instrument was apparently the distant ancestor of the flute. In Europe in the Middle Ages, two types of flute became widespread: straight and transverse. The straight flute, or "tipped flute", was held straight ahead, like an oboe or clarinet; oblique, or transverse - at an angle. The transverse flute turned out to be more viable, as it was easy to improve. In the middle of the 18th century, it finally replaced the straight flute from the symphony orchestra. At the same time, the flute, along with the harp and harpsichord, became one of the most beloved home music instruments. The flute, for example, was played by the Russian artist Fedotov and the Prussian king Frederick II. The flute is the most mobile woodwind instrument: in terms of virtuosity, it surpasses all other wind instruments. An example of this is the ballet suite "Daphnis and Chloe" by Ravel, where the flute actually acts as a solo instrument. The flute is a cylindrical tube, wooden or metal, closed on one side - at the head. There is also a side hole for air injection. Playing the flute requires a lot of air consumption: when blown in, part of it breaks on the sharp edge of the hole and leaves. From this, a characteristic sibilant overtone is obtained, especially in a low register. For the same reason, sustained notes and wide melodies are difficult to play on the flute. Rimsky-Korsakov described the sonority of the flute as follows: "The timbre is cold, most suitable for melodies of a graceful and frivolous nature in major, and with a touch of superficial sadness in minor." Composers often use an ensemble of three flutes. An example is the dance of the shepherdesses from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.

  The oboe competes with the flute in the antiquity of its origin: it traces its ancestry to the primitive flute. Of the ancestors of the oboe, the Greek aulos was most widely used, without which the ancient Hellenes could not imagine either a feast or a theatrical performance. The ancestors of the oboe came to Europe from the Middle East. In the 17th century, an oboe was created from a bombarda - a pipe-type instrument, which immediately became popular in the orchestra. It soon became a concert instrument as well. For almost a century, the oboe has been the idol of musicians and music lovers. The best composers of the 17th-18th centuries - Lully, Rameau, Bach, Handel - paid tribute to this passion: Handel, for example, wrote concertos for the oboe, the difficulty of which can confuse even modern oboists. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, the "cult" of the oboe in the orchestra faded somewhat, and the leading role in the woodwind group passed to the clarinet. According to its structure, the oboe is a conical tube; at one end of it is a small funnel-shaped bell, at the other - a cane, which the performer holds in his mouth. Thanks to some design features, the oboe never loses its tuning. Therefore, it has become a tradition to tune the entire orchestra to it. In front of a symphony orchestra, when the musicians are gathering on the stage, it is not uncommon to hear the oboist playing in A in the first octave, and the other performers fine-tuning their instruments. The oboe has a mobile technique, although it is inferior in this respect to the flute. It is more of a singing than a virtuoso instrument: as a rule, its domain is sadness and elegiac. This is how it sounds in the theme of swans from the intermission to the second act of "Swan Lake" and in the simple melancholic melody of the second part of Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony. Occasionally, the oboe is assigned "comic roles": in Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, for example, in the variation of "The Cat and the Kitty", the oboe amusingly imitates the cat's meow.

  The Clarinet is a cylindrical wooden tube with a coronet-shaped bell at one end and a reed-tip at the other. Of all the woodwinds, only the clarinet has the flexibility to change the volume of the sound. This and many other qualities of the clarinet have made it one of the most expressive voices in the orchestra. It is curious that two Russian composers, dealing with the same plot, acted in exactly the same way: in both "The Snow Maiden" - Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky - Lel's shepherd tunes are entrusted to the clarinet. The timbre of the clarinet is often associated with gloomy dramatic situations. This area of ​​expressiveness was "discovered" by Weber. In the "Wolf Valley" scene from "Magic Shooter" he first guessed what tragic effects are hidden in the low register of the instrument. Later, Tchaikovsky used the eerie sound of low clarinets in The Queen of Spades at the moment when the Countess's ghost appears. Small clarinet. The small clarinet came to the symphony orchestra from the military brass. It was first used by Berlioz, who entrusted him with the distorted "beloved theme" in the last movement of the Fantastic Symphony. The small clarinet was often used by Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov, R. Strauss. Shostakovich. Basset horn. At the end of the 18th century, the clarinet family was enriched with one more member: the basset horn appeared in the orchestra - an old variety of the alto clarinet. In size it surpassed the main instrument, and its timbre - calm, solemn and matte - occupied an intermediate position between the usual and bass clarinet. He stayed in the orchestra for only a few decades and owed his heyday to Mozart. It was for two basset horns with bassoons that the beginning of the "Requiem" was written (now the basset horns are being replaced by clarinets). An attempt to revive this instrument under the name of the alto clarinet was made by R. Strauss, but since then it seems to have had no repetitions. Nowadays, basset horns are included in military bands. Bass clarinet. The bass clarinet is the most "impressive" member of the family. Built at the end of the 18th century, it won a strong position in the symphony orchestra. The shape of this instrument is quite unusual: its bell is bent upwards, like a smoking pipe, and the mouthpiece is mounted on a curved rod - all this in order to reduce the exorbitant length of the instrument and facilitate its use. Meyerbeer was the first to "discover" the enormous dramatic power of this instrument. Wagner, starting with "Lohengrin", makes him a permanent bass woodwind. Russian composers often used the bass clarinet in their work. So, the gloomy sounds of the bass clarinet are heard in the fifth picture of the "Queen of Spades" at the time when Herman is reading Liza's letter. Now the bass clarinet is a permanent member of a large symphony orchestra, and its functions are very diverse.

  The ancestor of the bassoon is the old bass pipe - the bombarda. The bassoon that replaced it was built by canon Afragno degli Albonesi in the first half of the 16th century. A large wooden pipe bent in half resembled a bundle of firewood, which is reflected in the name of the instrument (the Italian word fagotto means "bundle"). The bassoon conquered his contemporaries with the euphony of the timbre, who, in contrast to the hoarse voice of the bombarda, began to call him "dolcino" - sweet. In the future, while retaining its external outlines, the bassoon underwent serious improvements. From the 17th century, he entered the symphony orchestra, and from the 18th century - into the military. The conical wooden trunk of the bassoon is very large, so it is "folded" in half. A curved metal tube is attached to the top of the instrument, on which a cane is put on. During the game, the bassoon is hung on a string around the performer's neck. In the 18th century, the instrument enjoyed great love among contemporaries: some called it "proud", others - "gentle, melancholic, religious". Rimsky-Korsakov defined the color of the bassoon in a very peculiar way: "The timbre is senilely mocking in major and painfully sad in minor." Bassoon performance requires a lot of breathing, and forte in a low register can cause extreme fatigue for the performer. The functions of the tool are very diverse. True, in the 18th century they were often limited to supporting stringed basses. But in the 19th century, with Beethoven and Weber, the bassoon became the individual voice of the orchestra, and each of the subsequent masters found new properties in it. Meyerbeer in "Robert the Devil" forced the bassoons to portray "death laughter, from which frost is tearing at the skin" (the words of Berlioz). Rimsky-Korsakov in "Scheherazade" (a story by Prince Kalender) discovered a poetic narrator in the bassoon. In this last role, the bassoon performs especially often - that is probably why Thomas Mann called the bassoon a "mockingbird". Examples can be found in the Humorous Scherzo for four bassoons and in Prokofiev's Petya and the Wolf, where the bassoon is given the "role" of Grandfather, or at the beginning of the finale of Shostakovich's Ninth Symphony. Varieties of the bassoon are limited in our time to just one representative - the counterbassoon. It is the lowest range instrument of the orchestra. Lower than the limiting sounds of the contrabassoon, only the pedal basses of the organ sound. The idea to continue the bassoon scale downward appeared a long time ago - the first counterbassoon was built in 1620. But it was so imperfect that, until the end of the 19th century, when the instrument was improved, very few people turned to it: occasionally Haydn, Beethoven, Glinka. The modern counterbassoon is an instrument bent three times: its unfolded length is 5 m 93 cm (!); in technique it resembles a bassoon, but is less agile and has a thick, almost organ-like timbre. Composers of the 19th century - Rimsky-Korsakov, Brahms - usually turned to the counterbassoon to enhance the bass. But sometimes interesting solos are written for him. Ravel, for example, in "The Conversation of the Beauty and the Beast" (the ballet "My Mother the Goose") entrusted him with the voice of the monster. Strings

  VIOLIN is a stringed bowed instrument, the highest in sound, the richest in expressive and technical possibilities among the instruments of the violin family. It is believed that the immediate predecessor of the violin was the so-called lira de braccio, which originates from ancient viols; like a violin, this instrument was held at the shoulder (Italian braccio - shoulder), the playing techniques were also similar to violin ones. From the middle of the XVI century. the violin is established in musical practice as a solo and ensemble instrument. Many generations of craftsmen worked to improve the design, improve the sound qualities of the violin. History has preserved the names of A. and N. Amati, A. and D. Guarneri, A. Stradivari - outstanding Italian masters of the late 16th - early 18th centuries, who created samples of violins that are still considered unsurpassed. The body of the violin has a characteristic oval shape with notches on the sides. The shell connects two soundboards of the instrument (special holes are cut on the top - efs). There are 4 strings stretched over the fretboard, tuned in fifths. The range of the violin covers 4 octaves; however, with the help of harmonics, a number of higher sounds can also be extracted. The violin is a predominantly monophonic instrument. However, harmonic intervals and even 4-sound chords are extracted on it. The timbre of the violin is melodious, rich in sound and dynamic shades, in expressiveness it approaches the human voice. To change the timbre during the game, sometimes a mute is used. The violin, which has exceptional technical mobility, is often entrusted with the performance of difficult and fast passages, wide and melodic jumps, various kinds of trills, tremolo.

  The viola and the way it is played are very reminiscent of the violin, so if you do not notice the difference in size (and it is very difficult to do this: the viola is noticeably larger than the violin), then they can easily be confused. It is believed that the timbre of the viola is inferior to the violin in brilliance and brightness. Nevertheless, this instrument also has its unique advantages: it is indispensable in music of an elegiac, dreamy-romantic nature. In terms of virtuosity, the viola is almost as perfect as the violin, but the large size of the viola requires the player to have appropriate stretching of the fingers and physical strength. The viola did not immediately receive its proper role among the instruments of the orchestra. After the flourishing of the polyphonic school of Bach and Handel, when the viola was an equal member of the string group, they began to entrust him with a subordinate harmonic voice. Violists in those days were usually unsuccessful violinists. In the works of Gluck, Haydn and, to some extent, Mozart, the viola is used only as the middle or lower voice of the orchestra. Only in the works of Beethoven and Romantic composers does the viola acquire the significance of a melodic instrument. The viola owes much of its recognition to the outstanding violinists of the last century, especially Paganini, who played the viola in a quartet and performed in a solo concert. Later, Berlioz introduces the part of the solo viola into his symphony "Harold in Italy", entrusting him with the characterization of Harold. After that, the attitude of composers and performers to the viola began to change. Wagner in "Tannhäuser", in a scene called "The Grotto of Venus", writes for the viola an incredibly difficult part for that time. R. Strauss interprets the solo viola even more masterfully in the symphonic film "Don Quixote". Violas are often entrusted with a melodic voice together with cellos, violins, or completely independently, as, for example, in the second act of Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Golden Cockerel" during the dance of the Queen of Shemakhan.

  CELLO came into musical life in the second half of the 16th century. It owes its creation to the art of such outstanding instrumental masters as Magini, Gasparo de Salo, and later - Amati and Stradivari. Like the viola, the cello has long been considered a secondary instrument in the orchestra. Until the end of the 18th century, composers used it mainly as a bass voice, and at the very beginning of the century before last, in connection with this, the cello and double bass parts were written in the score on one line. The cello is twice the size of the viola, its bow is shorter than the violin and viola, the strings are much longer. The cello belongs to the number of "foot" instruments: the performer puts it between his knees, resting the metal spike on the floor. Beethoven was the first to "discover" the beauty of the cello timbre. Following him, the composers turned its sound into the singing voice of the orchestra - let's recall the second part of Tchaikovsky's VIth symphony. Quite often in operas, ballets and symphonic works the cello is assigned solo - as, for example, in "Don Quixote" by R. Strauss. In the number of concert pieces written for her, the cello is second only to the violin. Like the violin and viola, the cello has four strings tuned in fifths, but an octave below the violas. In terms of technical capabilities, the cello is not inferior to the violin, and in some cases even surpasses it. For example, due to the longer strings of the cello, it is possible to obtain a richer series of harmonics on it.

  The DOUBLE BASS is far superior to its counterparts both in size and in the volume of the low register: the double bass is twice the size of the cello, which is twice the size of the viola. Most likely, the double bass, a descendant of the old viol, appeared in the orchestra in the 17th century. The shape of the double bass has retained the features of the old viol to this day: the body pointed upwards, the sloping sides - thanks to this, the performer can bend over the upper part of the body and "reach out" to the bottom of the neck in order to extract the highest sounds. The instrument is so large that the performer plays it while standing or sitting on a high stool. In terms of virtuosity, the modern double bass is quite mobile: often, together with the cellos, rather fast passages are performed on it. But "thanks" to its size, it requires a huge stretching of the fingers, and its bow is very heavy. All this makes the technique of the instrument heavier: passages in which lightness is required sound somewhat heavy on it. Nevertheless, his role in the orchestra is enormous: by invariably performing the bass voice parts, he creates the foundation for the sound of the string group, and together with the bassoon and tuba or the third trombone, the entire orchestra. In addition, double basses sound great in an octave with cellos in melodies. In the orchestra, it is very rare to divide double basses into several parts or perform solos on them. Brass

  The PIPE has been part of the opera orchestra since its inception; Monteverdi's Orpheus had already sounded five trumpets. In the 17th and the first half of the 18th century, very virtuosic and high-pitched parts were written for trumpets, the prototype of which were the soprano parts in the vocal and instrumental compositions of that time. To perform these most difficult parts, musicians of the time of Purcell, Bach and Handel used natural instruments common in that era with a long pipe and a mouthpiece of a special device that made it possible to easily extract the highest overtones. A trumpet with such a mouthpiece was called "clarino", the same name was given in the history of music and writing style for it. In the second half of the 18th century, with a change in orchestral writing, the clarino style was forgotten, and the trumpet became predominantly a fanfare instrument. It was limited in its possibilities like a French horn, and was in an even worse position, since the "closed sounds" expanding the scale were not used on it because of their bad timbre. But in the thirties of the XIX century, with the invention of the valve mechanism, a new era began in the history of the pipe. It became a chromatic instrument and, after several decades, replaced the natural trumpet from the orchestra. The timbre of the trumpet is not characterized by lyrics, but the heroism he succeeds in the best possible way. Among the Viennese classics, trumpets were a purely fanfare instrument. They often performed the same functions in the music of the 19th century, announcing the beginning of processions, marches, solemn festivities and hunts. Wagner used pipes more than others and in a new way. Their timbre is almost always associated in his operas with chivalrous romance and heroism. The trumpet is famous not only for its sound power, but also for its outstanding virtuoso qualities.

  Trombone gets its name from the Italian name for the pipe - tromba - with the magnifying suffix "one": trombone literally means "trumpet". And indeed: the trombone tube is twice as long as that of the trumpet. Already in the 16th century, the trombone received its modern form and since its inception has been a chromatic instrument. The full chromatic scale is achieved on it not through the mechanism of valves, but with the help of the so-called backstage. The backstage is a long additional tube, shaped like the Latin letter U. It is inserted into the main tube and lengthened as desired. In this case, the system of the instrument decreases accordingly. The performer pushes the wings down with his right hand, and supports the instrument with his left. Trombones have long been a "family" consisting of instruments of various sizes. Not so long ago, the trombone family consisted of three instruments; each of them corresponded to one of the three voices of the choir and received its name: trombone-alto, trombone-tenor, trombone-bass. Playing the trombone requires a huge amount of air, since the movement of the wings takes more time than pressing the valves on a horn or trumpet. Technically, the trombone is less mobile than its neighbors in the group: the scale on it is not so fast and clear, the forte is a bit heavy, the legato is difficult. Cantilena on a trombone requires a lot of tension from the performer. However, this instrument has qualities that make it indispensable in the orchestra: the sound of the trombone is more powerful and masculine. Monteverdi in the opera "Orpheus" perhaps for the first time felt the tragic character inherent in the sound of a trombone ensemble. And starting with Gluck, three trombones became obligatory in an opera orchestra; they often appear at the climax of a drama. The trombone trio is good at oratorical phrases. Since the second half of the 19th century, the trombone group has been supplemented by a bass instrument - the tuba. Together, three trombones and a tuba form a "heavy brass" quartet. A very peculiar effect is possible on the trombone - glissando. It is achieved by sliding the backstage at one position of the performer's lips. This technique was known even to Haydn, who in the oratorio "The Four Seasons" used it to imitate the barking of dogs. Glissando is widely used in modern music. The deliberately howling and rude glissando of the trombone in the Saber Dance from Khachaturian's ballet Gayane is curious. The effect of a trombone with a mute is also interesting, which gives the instrument an ominous, bizarre sound.

  The progenitor of the modern horn was the horn. From ancient times, the signal of the horn announced the beginning of the battle, in the Middle Ages and later, until the beginning of the 18th century, it was heard at hunting, competitions and solemn court ceremonies. In the 17th century, the hunting horn was occasionally introduced into the opera, but only in the next century did it become a permanent member of the orchestra. And the very name of the instrument - horn - recalls its past role: this word comes from the German "Waldhorn" - "forest horn". In Czech, this instrument is still called the forest horn. The metal tube of the old French horn was very long: when unfolded, some of them reached 5m 90cm. Such an instrument could not be held straight in the hands; so the horn-pipe was bent and shaped into a graceful shell-like shape. The sound of the old horn was very beautiful, but the instrument turned out to be limited in its sound capabilities: it was possible to extract only the so-called natural scale, that is, those sounds that arise from dividing the column of air contained in the tube into 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. parts. According to legend, in 1753 the Dresden horn player Gampel accidentally put his hand into the bell and discovered that the horn's tuning had dropped. Since then, this technique has been widely used. Sounds obtained in this way were called "closed". But they were deaf and very different from the bright open ones. Not all composers often risked turning to them, usually satisfied with short, well-sounding fanfare motives built on open sounds. In 1830, the valve mechanism was invented - a permanent system of additional tubes that allows you to get a full, good-sounding chromatic scale on the horn. A few decades later, the improved French horn finally replaced the old natural one, which was last used by Rimsky-Korsakov in the opera May Night in 1878. The horn is considered the most poetic instrument in the brass group. In the low register the timbre of the horn is somewhat gloomy, in the upper register it is very tense. The horn can sing or slowly tell. The horn quartet sounds very soft - you can hear it in the "Waltz of the Flowers" from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet.

  TUBA is a rather young instrument. It was built in the second quarter of the 19th century in Germany. The first tubas were imperfect and were initially used only in military and garden orchestras. Only when it got to France, in the hands of the instrumental master Adolphe Sax, did the tuba begin to meet the high requirements of the symphony orchestra. The tuba is a bass instrument capable of reaching the lowest end of the range in the brass group. In the past, its functions were performed by the serpent, a bizarrely shaped instrument that owes its name to it (in all Romance languages, the serpent means "snake") - then the bass and contrabass trombones and the ophicleide with its barbaric timbre. But the sound qualities of all these instruments were such that they did not give the brass band a good, stable bass. Until the tuba appeared, the masters stubbornly searched for a new instrument. The dimensions of the tuba are very large, its tube is twice as long as the tube of the trombone. During the game, the performer holds the instrument in front of him with the bell up. The tuba is a chromatic instrument. The air consumption on the tube is enormous; sometimes, especially in forte in a low register, the performer is forced to change his breath on each sound. Therefore, solos on this instrument are usually quite short. Technically, the tuba is movable, although heavy. In an orchestra, she usually serves as bass in a trio of trombones. But sometimes the tuba acts as a solo instrument - so to speak, in characteristic roles. Thus, while instrumenting Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in the play "Cattle", Ravel entrusted the bass tuba with a humorous image of a rumbling cart dragging along the road. The tuba part is written here in a very high register.

  The creator of the SAXOPHONE is the outstanding Franco-Belgian instrumental maker Adolf Sachs. Sachs proceeded from a theoretical assumption: is it possible to build a musical instrument that would occupy an intermediate position between woodwinds and brass? Such an instrument, capable of linking the timbres of copper and wood, was in great need of the imperfect military brass bands of France. To implement his plan, A. Sachs used a new construction principle: he connected a conical tube with a clarinet reed and an oboe valve mechanism. The body of the instrument was made of metal, the external outlines resembled a bass clarinet; flared at the end, strongly bent upwards tube, to which is attached a cane on a metal tip, bent in the shape of "S". Sachs' idea was brilliantly successful: the new instrument really became the link between brass and woodwinds in military bands. Moreover, its timbre turned out to be so interesting that it attracted the attention of many musicians. The coloring of the saxophone sound is reminiscent of the English horn, clarinet and cello at the same time, but the sound power of the saxophone far exceeds the sound power of the clarinet. Having begun its existence in the military brass bands of France, the saxophone was soon introduced into the opera and symphony orchestra. For a very long time - several decades - only French composers turned to him: Thomas ("Hamlet"), Massenet ("Werther"), Bizet ("Arlesienne"), Ravel (instrumentation of Mussorgsky's Katrinok from an Exhibition). Then the composers of other countries also believed in him: Rachmaninov, for example, entrusted the saxophone with one of his best melodies in the first part of the Symphonic Dances. It is curious that on its unusual path the saxophone had to face obscurantism: in Germany during the years of fascism it was banned as an instrument of non-Aryan origin. In the 1910s, musicians of jazz ensembles drew attention to the saxophone, and soon the saxophone became the "king of jazz". Many composers of the 20th century appreciated this interesting instrument. Debussy wrote Rhapsody for saxophone and orchestra, Glazunov - Concerto for saxophone and orchestra, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Khachaturian repeatedly referred to him in their works. Drums