Orchestra definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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noun Music A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, and percussion instruments.
noun Music The instruments played by such a group.
noun The area in a theater or concert hall where the musicians sit, immediately in front of and below the stage.

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Century Dictionary (3)

The part of a theater or other public place appropriated to the musicians. In theaters, in classic times, the orchestra was a circular or semicircular level space lying between the rising tiers of seats of the auditorium and the stage. In Greek theaters this space was circular, and was allotted to the chorus, which performed its evolutions about the thymele or altar of Dionysus, which occupied the center of the orchestra. Among the Romans the orchestra corresponded nearly to the orchestra of modern play-houses, and was set apart for the seats of senators and other persons of distinction. See diagram under diazoma. In a modern theater or opera house, the place assigned for the orchestra-players is usually the front part of the main floor. In the opera-house at Bayreuth the orchestra is below the level of the floor, so that the players are invisible to the audience. The parquet.
In modern music, a company of performers on such instruments as are used in concerted music; a band. (In the United States band usually signifies a military band; but in England band is interchangeable with orchestra.) The historic development of the orchestra as now known did not begin until about 1600, when the independent value of instrumental music was first generally accepted. Up to that time, though many instruments had been known and used, both alone and as supports for vocal music, they had not been systematically combined, nor had concerted music been written for them. The process of experiment, selection, and improvement in construction and mutual adaptation went on steadily until nearly 1800, when the orchestra first arrived at its present proportions. The instruments now used consist of four main groups: the strings, including violins (first and second), violas, violoncellos, and bass viols, these together constituting the largest and decidedly the most important group, which is often used entirely alone, and is then called the string-orchestra; the wood wind, including flutes, oboes, clarinets, English horns, basset-horns, bassoons, etc., these all being used both to enrich the effect of the strings, and in alternation with them to afford contrasts in tone-quality; the brass wind, including French horns, trumpets, cornets, trombones, ophicleides, etc., these being also used both in conjunction and in contrast with the other groups, though their decidedly greater sonority makes their introduction necessarily more rare; and the percussives, including tympani, snare and bass drums, cymbals, bells and triangles, harps, etc., and also sometimes the pianoforte, though the latter is seldom ranked as a true orchestral instrument. The proportions of the several groups are varied somewhat both by composers and by conductors. A full orchestra is one in which all these groups are present in fairly complete form; a small orchestra is one in which some important instruments are lacking. All the above instruments, except the harp, are essentially monophonic, and the peculiar artistic importance of the orchestra is based upon the fact that every element in the total effect is produced by a solo instrument in the hands of a separate performer. The orchestra is extensively employed both in accompanying vocal music of every kind and in purely instrumental works. Its unlimited capacities for varied effect have led to the production of an extensive musical literature, in which are some of the most famous specimens of musical art. The orchestra is an indispensable factor in all extended works like operas and oratorios. The maintenance of orchestras was originally undertaken by individual princes in the several European states; but. they are now either attached to opera-houses or supported by the proceeds of popular concerts.
In the early New England churches, the choir-gallery at the end opposite the pulpit: so called because in it were stationed the instrumentalists by whom the singing was accompanied.

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But then this hope and my intercourse with the orchestra are all that attracts me here; beyond this all, all is indifferent and disgusting to me. — Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt, Volume 2
Think this plan over again carefully, and do not look at Lowenberg through the glasses of our excellent friend Frau von Bonsart!—Of course a date would have to be fixed when the orchestra is assembled there, and the whole programme arranged with Seifriz and drawn up with his friendly co-operation. — Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 2: "From Rome to the End"
The concert season does not begin till November, and, with the exception of the winter months, when the musical performances take place, a great proportion of the members of the orchestra is absent. — Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 1, "From Paris to Rome: Years of Travel as a Virtuoso,"
But the orchestra was about to play a waltz—at last. — Mary Balogh - Unforgiven
As he dozed off a musical phrase rang in his ears as distinctly as if the orchestra were there. — Jean-Christophe, Vol. I

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orchestra

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