From TCC

1. Musical Ensembles
Attending Concerts

2. Chamber Music
• A form of classical music that is composed for a small group of
instruments, one performer to a part.
• Duet
• Trio
• Quartet
• Various ensembles up to ten performers
The following are only a few examples of chamber music
ensembles. Instrumentation varies as there is no set
instrumentation for these genres. The instrumentation is
determined by a composer.

3. Two Instruments
• Two instruments
• Sonata
Beethoven, “Kreutzer” Sonata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COGcCBJAC6I
• Duet
Copland, Duet for Flute and Piano
http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/duo-for-flute-and-piano-
aaron-copland/
Rossini, Duet for Cello and
Basshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8SCz1bEXs

4. Three Instruments
• String Trio
• Violin, Viola, Cello
Beethoven, String Trio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VVXP1Y-
ckw
• Piano trio
• Piano, clarinet, cello
Brahms, Trio in A Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOayoH9YRWk
• Piano, violin, cello
Mozart, Piano Trio in B Flat
Majorhttp://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/piano-trio-in-b-
flat-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/

5. Four Instruments
• Quartet
• Brass quartet: trumpet 1, trumpet 2, euphonium, tuba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DO_XtUNQRI
• String quartet: violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello
Beethoven, String Quartet in F Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaSAdCvzPgU
• Piano quartet: violin, viola, cello, piano
Mendelssohn, Piano Quartet in D Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6QJu23I7YQ

6. Five Instruments
• Quintet
• String quintet: violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello 1, cello 2
Schubert, String Quintet in C Major
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8jgqFnh3q0
• Brass quintet: trumpet, cornet, horn, trombone, tuba
Bach, Little Fugue in G Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvc4955x_W8
• Wind quintet: flute, oboe, horn, bassoon, clarinet
Nielsen, Wind Quintet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQDdD66tv1w

7. Six Instruments
• Sextet
• String Sextet: violin 1, violin 2, viola 1, viola 2, cello 1, cello 2
Tchaikovsky, Souvenir de Florence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD2o1VdnmN4
Brahms, String Sextet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ZboerS4zc
• Wind Sextet: clarinet 1, clarinet 2, horn 1, horn 2, bassoon 1, bassoon 2
Beethoven, Wind Sextet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-qmzhpAfgw
• Mixed ensemble: woodwind quintet (bassoon, horn, flute, oboe,
clarinet) and piano
Poulenc, Sextet for Piano and Woodwind Quintet
http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/sextet-for-piano-and-
wind-quintet-francis-poulenc/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1mQJkbv_f8

8. Seven performers
• Septet
• Mixed ensemble: violin, viola, cello, bass, horn, bassoon, clarinet.
Beethoven, Septet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSOMNr-RzCY

9. Eight Performers
• Octet
• Eight musicians, various ensembles.
Mendelssohn, String Octet: violin 1, violin 2, violin 3, violin 4, viola
1, viola 2, cello 1, cello 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZc8e4gUWQ
http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/string-octet-in-e-
flat-felix-mendelssohn/

10. Choral Groups
• Chorus – an ensemble of singers.
• Mixed: soprano, alto, tenor, bass – SATB.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=475pqwwbZ1w
• Male: tenors, baritones, basses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jRnL6fRdcc
• Female: sopranos and altos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkom5n3DY8U
• Children’s: sopranos and altos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOG99ASUU-o
• Choir - a smaller than a chorus singing ensemble. This term is
used in English language. Church choirs.
• Various singing ensembles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C3G1mMJQUY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpEqeTWI_EQ

11. The Symphony Orchestra

12. Strings
• First Violins
• Second Violins
• Violas
• Cellos
• Basses
• Harp

13. Woodwinds
• Flutes
• Piccolo
• Oboes
• Clarinets
• Bassoons
• Contrabassoon
• Saxophones
Various woodwind instruments discussed previously can be
added at composers’ discretions.

14. Brass
• French horns
• Trumpets
• Trombones
• Tubas

15. Percussion
• Timpani
• Snare drum
• Tenor drum
• Bass drum
• Cymbals
• Tam-tam
• Triangle
• Wood block
• Tambourine
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Vibraphone
• Tubular bells
• Marimba

16. Keyboards
• Piano
• Celesta

17. Conductors
• Are in charge of planning and preparation to the concerts.
• Show not only conducting patterns, but also articulate
expressive qualities of music.
Mozart, “Dies Irae” from “Requiem” conducted by H. Karajan,
start at 10:16
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia8ceqIDSJw
• Conductorless orchestras
• Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Jd8l62r5E
• Australian Chamber Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kFYlUXO_G4

18. Listening
As you watch the following videos, please note the sections and
instruments listed above.
Verdi, Overture to La Forza del Destino
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thxOV5_YCh4
Britten, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vbvhU22uAM

19. Concert Bands
• Professional, collegiate, and school concert and marching
bands and wind ensembles.
• University of Michigan Concert Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWejXR78FN8

20. Jazz Bands
• Duke Ellington Big Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2w2m1JmCY
• Dave Brubeck Quartet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHdU5sHigYQ
• Dizzy Gillespie Quintet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjZa7lyyGlw

21. Rock Bands
• The Beatles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4zaofnVhps
• Any suggestions? 

22. Concert Etiquette
Basic rules of the concert etiquette at a classical music concert:
• Audience
• Applaud at appropriate times, not between the sections of a multi-
movement composition.
• Do not be disruptive.
• Do not leave the auditorium while the music is playing.
• Only applauding is an appropriate sign of public appreciation.
• Performers
• Solo performers and conductors bow right after they enter the stage
and after the completion of a one-movement piece or a multi-
movement cycle.
• Orchestra members will stand up when a conductor appears on the
stage.
• A concertmaster (a first violinist) tunes the orchestra before a
conductor comes on the stage.

23. Required Readings
• http://openhighschoolcourses.org/mod/page/view.php?id=11
823
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_ensemble
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_etiquette
• http://library.thinkquest.org/22673/
Video assignment:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/PortalViewVideo.
aspx?xtid=40223&psid=0&sid=0&State=&title=Genres%20in%20
Music:%20From%20Handel%20to%20Hip-
Hop&IsSearch=N&parentSeriesID=