Standard orchestra seating for symphonic music. Click images for full size graphic.
Orchestra String Seating and Acoustic Transmission
To achieve good acoustic transmission, the strings are arranged at the front of the orchestra. Their core function and role as melodic interpreters justifies their being close to the conductor in order to have better contact. The most important reason for their placement, however, is their low projection capability. You will easily hear two trumpets (or any woodwind or brass instrument, for that matter) playing amid the whole violin section, because the winds have a much greater power of projection. The harp is usually placed between the violins and the brass, and is used to interpose harmonic chords. This format is a relatively recent development. Monterverdi, for example, divided his orchestra in two and conducted his instrumentalists separately, placing them on two sides of the hall to underline the contrast between certain parts of his works.
Berlioz and Wagner, who had a megalomania for orchestral effects, wrote titanic symphonies, although even these weren’t enough to satisfy the composers. The biggest orchestra to date got together in Boston in 1872 for the Gilmore Peace Jubilee, celebrating the end of the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. Over 4,000 instrumentalists were present, including over 300 violins, 100 cellos, 100 double basses, 24 clarinets, bassoons, and French horns. It’s hard to imagine such a spectacle!
Many consider Jean-Baptiste Lully’s violons du roy (his twenty-four “king’s violins” inaugurated in 1626) as the first orchestra resembling those we know today. Since the time of Louis XIII, however, there have been many changes in the orchestra’s makeup. Patrons continued to encourage music in the imperial courts of Europe up to the twentieth century. Orchestras were then governed by the financial resources available to them and their patrons, depending on how ambitious these courts were in matters of entertainment and cultural outreach. The demise of a number of orchestral societies along with nineteenth-century monarchies affected even opera companies, the best employers. The flame was passed on, however, thanks to the intervention of the state, musical societies, and individual music-lovers, all of whom wanted posterity to share this great tradition.
Český Krumlov Castle Theatre Orchestra Pit
The composition and seating of an orchestra in the 17th and 18th century is essentially different from what we are accustomed to today. Most notably, the orchestra was not conducted in the modern sense of the word. The conductor sat at the harpsichord and together with the first violinist directed the whole orchestra with his playing. This method of direction understandably influenced the seating arrangement of the musicians.
The harpsichord was included twice in most orchestras, and both instruments were placed facing each other on both ends of the orchestra pit. The other instruments formed two rows between the harpsichords; the first row consisting of the 1st violin, violas and oboe sat facing the stage, and the second row consisting of the 2nd violin, violas and oboe sat facing the audience. The bass instruments, forming together with the harpsichord the rhythmical element of the Baroque orchestra (basso continuo), were separated and placed with both harpsichords.
Original music stand in the orchestra pit in the Český Krumlov Castle Theatre
The orchestra pit of the Krumlov theatre is interesting in that the unique double-sided music stand has been preserved here, its form and size corresponding to the above-mentioned orchestra. So far it has also been possible to use original Baroque lighting methods in the orchestra pit; these methods are used most often during Trial performances in the Castle Theater.
Some Orchestra Score Musical Terms
Some of the musical terms used in the original orchestra score for Brigadoon.
Orchestra Conductors – Study Video Clips
A list of contrasting conducting styles from YouTube.com – Compare the conductors pre-1950 with modern conductors. I’ve also included some college and student conductors so you can compare styles against veteran approaches.
Compare the left hand (non-baton) hand of each orchestra conductor and compare vocabularies.
I searched for videos of orchestral music conductors online and thought this would be a nice collection for aspiring conductors to watch and study. These free video clips can be viewed by clicking on the links. All part of the journey of creating better communication skills for your orchestra musicians.
Dorian Wilson, Conductor R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel
Buddy Rich Drum Battle and Bus Tape
Two things I had always heard about was the Buddy Rich vs. Gene Kruppa drum battle and the Buddy Rich “Bus Tape”.
You can find both of them easily on YouTube.com – The Rich Vs. Kruppa drum battle is to the song Sing Sing Sing. Rich is an obvious winner in that battle but I’ve heard that Kruppa was very sick during the battle, and Rich was also in his prime when it was filmed. Check it out for yourself, Sammy Davis. Jr. declares the battle a tie at the end.
Now the Buddy Rich BUS TAPES! Buddy Rich laid into his band hardcore on the bus after a gig. He was very upset with them and told them they played like “high school dropouts”. It’s full of four letter words. When you’re playing with a band and tempers run high people often refer to these tapes, like “he’s as bad as Buddy Rich on the bus”, etc. You can also find this audio recording on YouTube.com – search for “Buddy bus”.
Karajan – Beethoven Symphony No. 5 – Part 1
20 Random Questions
Here’s answers to a reader post. This is very self indulgent – but that’s the kind of thing that belongs only on a blog. Just be thankful it’s not a post about my cat.
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Really enjoyed this young person’s “Report On a Music Producer“!
How would you feel about answering 20 random questions from a (lol) slightly older group who would like to know more about you?
ANSWER: Happy to do that. FYI, if you’re over 30 then you’re an old fart.
– You graduated very young. Would you say this was more the result of having your abilities recognized and fostered, or, an unusually early discipline and drive?
ANSWER: I skipped 3rd grade and 12th grade. I skipped 3rd grade because I went to a Montessori school in Memphis, TN (Lausanne) that let you go at your own speed. I chose fast. I skipped 12th grade because high school seemed like a waste of time. Instead of partying my last year I decided to double up on classes and graduate early. I REALLY enjoyed college, much better environment for study.
– You’ve played amongst world renown artists and in some amazing places. Tell us about a performance that remains as vivid in your memory today as the day on which it occurred.
ANSWER: Everything is always a blur to me. Friends have to remind me to get haircuts. But gigs that jump out as memorable were playing with Freddy Fender on his 60th birthday in Wisconsin. Playing on the DMZ between North and South Korea at a party for General Sherman (junior) Now THAT was a party! Singing with Archie Drake and Seattle Opera in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Playing with William Shatner at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth, CA. When Paul Shaffer sat in and played my keyboards at the Gold Coast Casino in Las Vegas, NV. My first piano recital when I played “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” (a woman told me she thought it was very good and I had never received a compliment like that from a stranger, it was a good feeling). I’ve played two country dance gigs where a dancer had a heart attack in the middle of a set. One made it, one didn’t – I remember both of them. What a great way to go….
– Enormously gifted…tell us something you CAN’T do.
ANSWER: LOTS of things I can’t do. Keeping small talk going for more than two minutes. Guitar. Cleaning my office (I have little elves that help me). DANCING. The “Wedge” fugue by JS Bach. I always miss a chord in the turnaround to “Georgia On My Mind” – and it’s so simple, that really bugs me. I cannot listen to music or play piano and carry on a conversation at the same time.
– You’ve traveled extensively – what’s your favorite city?
Of course I love the Seattle, WA area up to the Canadian border, and Mount Vernon, WA. For towns I’ve gigged at I would pick Albuquerque New Mexico, Hayward Wisconsin, Santa Barbara California and Colorado Springs, CO. My favorite international towns are Kobenhagn Denmark (Copenhagen) and Shanghai China.
– Lol, I read once that you drive rather fast. Any bumper stickers on your vehicle?
ANSWER: Au contraire. My friends all say I drive like an old grandma. I have one bumper sticker – BIG BEAR. It’s from Big Bear Lake in California. I used to do a lot of nature field recording there.
– You’re given 24 hours of sheer bliss and contentment; what would you be doing?
ANSWER: Exactly what I’m doing now. The rest is not appropriate for print.
– What is the most common trait amongst your close friends?
ANSWER: They enjoy least to talk about news and other people, but enjoy most to talk about ideas.
– Three words your family and friends would use to describe you.
ANSWER: My friends are overly generous with me. I cannot post their kind and sometimes admonishing words because then they would be mine, not theirs. So I will answer your question in a more clever fashion.
THREE WORDS FRIENDS USE TO DESCRIBE ME:
- Conrad
- is
- a
– Who have been your greatest mentors/teachers?
ANSWER: George Fiore. Richard Sparks. Marlene McComb. Anne Rossiter. Archie Drake. Billie Jo Richards. George Shangrow. Richard Farner. Ron Stein. Freddy Fender. And I bet that none of them know that! All of these people are truly amazing.
– As a network Administrator, you provide a very large number of forums, including those for discussions of faith. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible?
ANSWER: The books of Corinthians.
– Your experience in the music industry is very diverse, with projects ranging from classical to rap. What is it that would lead you to choose one project over another should they arise at the same time?
ANSWER: That happens a lot. I picture the end product – the one that makes me feel best for the time invested is the one I choose. That might be my Achilles heel.
– I’d rather be dunked in boiling oil than __________?
ANSWER: Do another Karaoke recording demo.
– At what historical world event would you like to have been present?
ANSWER: THE REFORMATION!
– Favorite authors?
ANSWER: Kahlil Gibran. Scott M Peck. Carlos Castaneda.
– You seem to thrive, and indeed, even gravitate towards challenging conditions. Are you a rebel, or a visionary?
ANSWER: If I say I’m a rebel then I sound like a meaningless troublemaker and if I say visionary then I would be pompous. I have heard the “visionary” word thrown my way a lot but think it extremely poorly placed. To me, to be a visionary, you should contribute something that really impacts mankind in a meaningful way. Something that pushes the tipping point in a better direction. Sadly I have yet to do anything remotely like that.
– You’ve been known to really enjoy a good prank; are you someone others avoid on April Fool’s Day?
ANSWER: You’re safe on April Fool’s – but watch out for every other day of the year. (Doing a joke on April Fool’s is too obvious.)
– You compose, conduct, teach, produce, perform – are there any avenues musically you have yet to take your skills to?
ANSWER: I have not written a hit musical. I have not scored a major motion picture release. I have not yet been hired to score a hip hop album with orchestra. I have not conducted an opera. I have not conducted a major symphony. I have not worked for Cirque Du Soleil. I have not been musical director for a long running show on the Las Vegas strip. Yes, there are still a lot of things left to do. Hehe….as I was writing those I had to go back and re-word several of them because I realized that I have or am doing many of them. Life is good.
– You’re a contestant – Fear Factor, or Jeopardy?
ANSWER: JEOPARDY!
– Hilary’s bid for the Presidency is being watched with great interest. What woman (or women) would you like to see nominated?
ANSWER: I don’t see a difference.
– I once said I had a mental picture of you hosting a dozen dinner guests, and breaking the ice by throwing out a very hot topic…then sitting back, and watching with great satisfaction. Tonight, what 12 guests would you like to invite? (And, P.S. – From the thousands of us you have drawn together in various forums, theatres, churches, arenas and numerous other venues, thank you. We’ve enjoyed ‘sitting’ at your table!)
ANSWER: My Twelve Dinner Guests
- Carl Sagan
- Socrates
- Freddy Mercury
- Michael Shermer
- Martin Luther
- J.S. Bach
- Victor Borge
- Paul
- Klaus Nomi
- Orson Welles
- William Shakespeare
- Mark Twain
Then at dinner I turn the conversation over to religion and politics. Ah, what a great round of talk that would be to see. And then they would each have to perform a work of their own creation. Klaus Nomi would not have much to say, I just want to see him perform after dinner. We should probably invite Ann Druyan to keep Carl Sagan in line.
Conductor Jokes
- What’s the difference between a bull and an orchestra?
- The bull has the horns in the front and the asshole in the back.
- A conductor and a violist are standing in the middle of the road. which one do you run over first, and why?
- The conductor. Business before pleasure.
- Why are conductor’s hearts so coveted for transplants?
- They’ve had so little use.
- What’s the difference between a conductor and a sack of fertilizer?
- The sack.
- What do you have when a group of conductors are up to their necks in wet concrete?
- Not enough concrete.
- Did you hear about the planeload of conductors en route to the European Festival?
- The good news: it crashed.
The bad news: there were three empty seats on board. - What’s the difference between a symphony conductor and Dr Scholl’s footpads?
- Dr Scholl’s footpads buck up the feet.
- What’s the difference between a pig and a symphony orchestra conductor?
- There are some things a pig just isn’t willing to do.
- What is the ideal weight for a conductor?
- About 2 1/2 lbs. including the urn.
- Why is a conductor like a condom?
- It’s safer with one, but more fun without.
- What’s the difference between God and a conductor?
- God knows He’s not a conductor.
- What’s the definition of an assistant conductor?
- A mouse trying to become a rat.
- What’s the difference between alto clef and Greek?
- Some conductors actually read Greek.
- What do do with a horn player that can’t play?
- Give him two sticks, put him in the back, and call him a percussionist.
- What do you do if he can’t do that?
- Take away one of the sticks, put him up front, and call him a conductor.
- What’s the difference between an opera conductor and a baby?
- A baby sucks its fingers.
A musician calls the symphony office to talk to the conductor. “I’m sorry,he’s dead,” comes the reply.
The musician calls back 25 times, always getting the same reply from the receptionist. At last she asks him why he keeps calling. “I just like to hear you say it.”
A musician arrived at the pearly gates.
“What did you do when you were alive?” asked St. Peter.
“I was the principal trombone player of the London Symphony Orchestra”
“Excellent! We have a vacancy in our celestial symphony orchestra for a trombonist. Why don’t you turn up at the next rehearsal.”
So, when the time for the next rehearsal arrived our friend turned up with his heavenly trombone [sic]. As he took his seat God moved, in a mysterious way, to the podium and tapped his batton to bring the players to attention. Our friend turned to the angelic second trombonist (!) and whispered, “So, what’s God like as a conductor?”
“Oh, he’s O.K. most of the time, but occasionally he thinks he’s von Karajan.”
It was the night of the big symphony concert, and all the town notables showed up to hear it. However, it was getting close to 8 o’clock and the conductor hadn’t yet shown up. The theater’s manager was getting desperate, knowing that he’d have to refund everyone’s money if he cancelled the concert, so he went backstage and asked all the musicians if any could conduct.
None of them could, so he went around and asked the staff if any of them could conduct. He had no luck there either, so he started asking people in the lobby, in the hope that maybe one of them could conduct the night’s concert.
He still hadn’t found anyone, so he went outside and started asking everybody passing by if they could conduct. He had no luck whatsoever and by this time the concert was 15 minutes late in starting. The assistant manager came out to say that the crowd was getting restless and about ready to demand their money back.
The desperate manager looked around and spied a cat, a dog, and a horse standing in the street. “Oh, what the heck,” he exclaimed, “let’s ask them–what do we have to lose?”
So the manager and assistant manager went up to the cat, and the manager asked “Mr. cat, do you know how to conduct?” The cat meowed “I don’t know, I’ll try,” but though it tried really hard, it just couldn’t stand upright on its hind legs. The manager sighed and thanked the cat, and then moved on to the dog.
“Mr. dog,” he asked, “do you think you can conduct?” The dog woofed “Let me see,” but although it was able to stand up on its hind legs and wave its front paws around, it just couldn’t keep upright long enough to last through an entire movement.
“Well, nice try,” the manager told the dog, and with a sigh of resignation turned to the horse. “Mr. horse,” he asked, “how about you–can you conduct?” The horse looked at him for a second and then without a word turned around, presented its hind end, and started swishing its tail in perfect four-four time.
“That’s it!” the manager exclaimed, “the concert can go on!” However, right then the horse dropped a load of plop onto the street. The assistant manager was horrified, and he told the manager “We can’t have this horse conduct! What would the orchestra think?”
The manager looked first at the horse’s rear end and then at the plop lying in the street and replied “trust me–from this angle, the orchestra won’t even know they have a new conductor!”
Once upon a time, there was a blind rabbit and blind snake, both living in the same neighborhood. One beautiful day, the blind rabbit was hopping happily down the path toward his home, when he bumped into someone. Apologizing profusely he explained, “I am blind, and didn’t see you there.”
“Perfectly all right,” said the snake, “because I am blind, too, and did not see to step out of your way.”
A conversation followed, gradually becoming more intimate, and finally the snake said, “This is the best conversation I have had with anyone for a long time. Would you mind if I felt you to see what you are like?”
“Why, no,” said the rabbit. “Go right ahead.”
So the snake wrapped himself around the rabbit and shuffled and snuggled his coils, and said, “MMMM! You’re soft and warm and fuzzy and cuddly…and those ears! You must be a rabbit.”
“Why, that’s right!” said the rabbit. “May I feel you?”
“Go right ahead.” said the snake, stretching himself out full length on the path.
The rabbit began to stroke the snake’s body with his paws, then drew back in disgust. “Yuck!” he said. “You’re cold…and slimy… you must be a conductor!”
A guy walks into a pet store wanting a parrot. The store clerk shows him two beautiful ones out on the floor. “This one’s $5,000 and the other is $10,000.” the clerk said.
“Wow! What does the $5,000 one do?”
“This parrot can sing every aria Mozart ever wrote.”
“And the other?” said the customer.
“This one can sing Wagner’s entire Ring cycle. There’s another one in the back room for $30,000.”
“Holy moly! What does that one do?”
“Nothing that I can tell, but the other two parrots call him ‘Maestro’.”
“Mommy,” said the little girl, “can I get pregnant by anal intercourse?”
“Of course you can.” her mother replied. “How do you think conductors are made?”
A new conductor was at his first rehearsal. It was not going well. He was wary of the musicians as they were of him. As he left the rehearsal room, the timpanist sounded a rude little "bong.” The angry conductor turned and said, “All right! Who did that?”
A violinist was auditioning for the Halle orchestra in England. After his audition he was talking with the conductor. “What do you think about Brahms?” asked the conductor.
“Ah…” the violinist replied, “Brahms is a great guy! Real talented musician. In fact, he and I were just playing some duets together last week!”
The conductor was impressed. “And what do you think of Mozart?” he asked him.
“Oh, he’s just swell! I just had dinner with him last week!” replied the violinist. Then the violinist looked at his watch and said he had to leave to catch the 1:30 train to London.
Afterwards, the conductor was discussing him with the board members. He said he felt very uneasy about hiring this violinist, because there seemed to be a serious credibility gap. The conductor knew for certain that there was no 1:30 train to London.