The Orchestra

If you are in the Introduction to Music class (MUH 1110) you will need to identify the four basic families of instruments in the orchestra, as well as each instrument in the family by its name. Below are links to stream the Windows Media file to your desktop. Each one focuses on a family of instruments and in turn presents each instrument on its own. Listen to each as many times as it takes to get proficient at identifying the instrumental sound by ear. It is the foundation of everything we do this semester.

Instruments of the Orchestra
 
String Family
Brass Family
Violin
Trumpet
Viola
French Horn
Cello
Trombone
Double Bass
Tuba
Harp
  
x
Woodwind Family
Percussion Family
Oboe
Snare Drum
English Horn
Bass Drum
Bassoon
Cymbal
Contra-Bassoon
Triangle
Clarinet
Tambourine
Flute
Gong
Piccolo
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Chimes
Timpani

 

Benjamin Britten wrote The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra as a tool to introduce the instruments of the orchestra. Far from being a dry didactic educational work, the The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is an exciting dynamic composition. It is a theme and variation wherein the composer chooses one theme and then creates a series of variations on that same melody. The theme Britten chooses is actually one first written by the 17th century composer Henry Purcell. With each variation Britten features one instrument (or family of instruments in the first case) performing a variation on the theme, resulting in an easy to recognize presentation of each unique instrumental timbre.
Theme:
Woodwinds, Brass, Strings, then Percussion
Variation 1:
Piccolo and Flute

Variation 3:
Oboes
Variation 3:
Clarinets
Variation 4:
Bassoons
Variation 5:
Violins
Variation 6:
Violas
Variation 7:
Cellos
Variation 8:
Double Basses
Variation 9:
Harp
Variation 10:
Horns
Variation 11:
Trumpets
Variation 12:
Trombones & Tuba
Variation 13:
Percussion
Variation 14:
Full Orchestral Fugue

 

 

Having problems getting it to work?

 

Humanities Resource of Mark Hunter