Baroque orchestra
The Baroque orchestra is the type of large ensemble for mixed instruments that existed during the Baroque Era of Western Classical music, commonly identified as 1600–1750.[1] Baroque orchestras are typically much smaller, in terms of the number of performers, than Romantic music era orchestras from the 1800s. Baroque orchestras originated in France where Jean-Baptiste Lully added the newly re-designed hautbois (oboe) and transverse flutes to his vingt-quatre violons du Roy (this translates as "The twenty-four violins of the King"). As well as violins and woodwinds, the baroque orchestra contained basso continuo instruments such as the theorbo, lute, harpsichord and/or pipe organ.
In the Baroque period, the orchestra was not standardised in size. There were large differences in size, instrumentation and playing styles – and therefore orchestral soundscapes and palettes – between the various European regions. The 'Baroque orchestra' ranged from smaller orchestras (or ensembles) with one player per part, to larger scale orchestras with many players per part. Examples of the smaller variety were Bach's orchestras, for example in Koethen where he had access to an ensemble of up to 18 players. Examples of large scale Baroque orchestras would include Corelli's orchestra in Rome which ranged between 35 and 80 players for day-to-day performances, being enlarged to 150 players for special occasions.[2]
Early music ensembles in the 2010s
The term 'Baroque orchestra' is commonly used in the 2010s to refer to chamber orchestras giving historically informed performances of baroque or classical on period Baroque instruments or replica instruments. The period-instrument revival during the 1970s inspired the development of the first period-instrument baroque orchestras, led by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Gustav Leonhardt, Frans Bruggen and Terrence Holford.
Since the 1970s many baroque orchestras have been formed across Europe, as well as some in North America. Baroque orchestras active in the 2010s include:
- Academy of Ancient Music
- American Bach Soloists
- Apollo’s Fire: The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra
- Arion Baroque Orchestra, Artistic Director : Claire Guimond, Montreal, Canada
- Les Arts Florissants
- The Hague's Baroque Orchestra: The New Dutch Academy
- Boston Baroque
- Bourbon Baroque: Louisville's Period Instrument Ensemble
- Atlanta Baroque Orchestra
- Concerto Italiano
- Concerto Köln
- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
- Portland Baroque Orchestra
- The English Baroque Soloists
- The English Concert
- Europa Galante
- Florilegium
- Freiburger Barockorchester
- The Hanover Band
- Hespèrion XX and Hespèrion XXI
- Il Giardino Armonico
- Musica Antiqua Köln
- Musicians of the King's Road (Kuninkaantien muusikot)
- New Trinity Baroque
- Newport Baroque Orchestra
- Les Paladins
- Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
- Taverner Consort and Players
- Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
- Barocco sempre giovane
- La Chapelle Rhénane
- Venice Baroque Orchestra
- Wrocławska Orkiestra Barokowa
Instrumentation
Baroque orchestra
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Recordings of baroque music
See also
- List of early music ensembles, for more Baroque orchestras
- Orchestra, for history of the orchestra
References
- ↑ Wade-Matthews, Max and Wendy Thompson. The Encyclopedia of Music. London: Hermes House, 2004. Retrieved 10 September 2011
- ↑ Pannain, Guido. "Arcangelo Corelli". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 9 November 2015.