Understanding the Orchestra
9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday 31 August 2024, WEA Sydney
The sound of a great symphony orchestra in full flight is one of the most thrilling sounds in all of western classical music. This course explores the instruments of the orchestra and the variety of sounds they can achieve, and examines the growth and development of the symphony orchestra. We also explore the kind of music written for the orchestra, by examining some of the greatest composers and compositions of all time. No prior musical knowledge is necessary.
Save the date! Enrolments for this course will open Monday 3 June 2024.Course Outline
Session 1
- What is a symphony orchestra?
- Symphony Orchestra versus Philharmonic Orchestra
- The Structure of a Symphony Orchestra
- How sound is made
- The instrument families
- The layout of an orchestra
Session 2
- The String Section
- About string instruments
- Individual string instruments
- Violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp
- The Woodwind Section
- About woodwind instruments
- Individual woodwinds
- Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon
Session 3
- The Brass Section
- About brass instruments
- Individual brass instruments
- Trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba
- The Percussion Section
- About percussion instruments
- Tuned percussion instruments
- Percussion instruments of indefinite pitch
Session 4
- Conductors and Conducting
- What the conductor does
- Interpreting the work
- Controlling the orchestra
- Orchestration: how instruments combine
- Aspects of orchestration
- Orchestration as a part of composition
- Orchestration and arrangement
Music we will listen to includes
- Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
- Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusic
- Ravel: String Quartet in F
- Bach: Cello Suites
- Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite
- Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
- Mozart: Flute Concerto No. 1
- Vaughan Williams: Oboe Concerto
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3
- Stravinksy: The Rite of Spring
- Mozart: Symphony No. 40
- Musorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
- Gershwin: An American in Paris
This is a shorter version of the 8-week course “A Beginner's Guide to the Orchestra.”
About Susan Deas
Susan Deas is a professional musician, lecturer and teacher. She has been teaching music appreciation courses for more than twenty years, through Sydney University's Centre for Continuing Education, WEA Sydney and at other venues. Her training includes a Bachelor of Music with a major in Performance (Piano) and Musicology, a Master of Music Studies (Studio Pedagogy), a Bachelor of Arts (Communications), and an A.Mus.A in Musicianship. Susan teaches piano and music theory to adults and children, and plays piano and organ at various venues around Sydney. Susan is an Accredited Member of the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW.
More about Susan's qualifications