Music!
The word "music" comes from the Greek mousiké that in the original means "the art of the Muses". We can define music as an art form that combines sounds and silence following rules of rhythm and time.
Music creation is part of human evolution. Are you aware that in Prehistory, the man heard the sounds of nature and felt the need to organize them in various harmonious ways, which led to the birth of the musical composition? Almost all nations of the world have their own musical expressions. Each genre is different in shape, the type of instruments used and the process that creates the sounds (it can be natural sounds, using musical scales and musical scores or it can be also by improvisation, or even a computer).
Classical Music = boring music?
The so called classical music is normally regarded as "cultured", more elaborate, in opposition to popular. It is said that it is made ??to resist to mainstreams, because sometimes it does not "catchy". In general, you need to listen carefully to realize the story that the melody wants to tell us.
It is frequent to confuse erudite music with classical music but things are different ... Classical music is one that is composed according to the rules of the musical period known as "Classicism".
So what is classical music?
Classical music is different from other genres in several characteristics. One difference is the use of musical instruments of various sounds and tones, creating deep and very rich melodies. While most popular music styles uses the format of songs, classical music uses forms as the concert, the symphony, opera, dance music, suite, among others.
For the implementation of classical music, is required an Orchestra: a symphonic orchestra is an instrumental group composed by classes of woods, brass, strings and percussion, which are distributed in different amounts and positions, according to their type. There are several instruments that may be part of a classical composition, and not all have to be used at the same time.
Let’s know better the instruments of the Orchestra
In the Orquestra Clássica do Sul, these are the instruments that are part of their composition base:
The string instruments
Violins
Violas
Cellos
Double basses
The wooden instruments
Flutes
Oboes
Clarinets
Bassoons
Brass instruments
Horns
Trumpets
Percussion instruments
Timpani, triangle, xylophone, among others
The set of the musicians in this orchestra follows a standard sequence: they are placed in a semicircle, with the strings in front, followed by woodwind and brass, with percussion on the back.
Each group or family of instruments has a soloist or leader who is the protagonist of the solos and the leadership of this group. The violins are divided into two groups: first violins and second violins. The leader of the first violins is called First Violin or Concertmaster and guides the whole orchestra, after the Conductor (who directs the orchestra as the principal). In brass, the first trumpet is the leader while in the woods the first oboe takes this role.
Sometimes it is necessary to include musicians playing instruments that are not part of the base composition of the orchestra , such as the harp , trombone and other wind instruments, and even keyboard instruments (as the piano, harpsichord or organ) . Often musicians are also invited to works with voice (singers) or instrument solos. These are guest soloists for the concert and they are in highlight, standing in front of the orchestra.
Not always an orchestra is directed by a conductor: small orchestras, called chamber music groups, can be formed only by strings or by winds, in groups of two, four or more musicians.
The Conductor
When a composer writes a work, it is recorded in a score (musical notes are written on a staff, to which they associate certain sounds). This score describes all the details that the composer wants to be followed by musicians, when the work is performed. The conductor, a specialized musician who leads the orchestra, has the function to mark the rhythm and musical dynamics indicated in the score, and organize the entries of the musicians in each part of the work during the concert, using hands and arms or a small wooden stick called baton. However, each conductor may interpret the scores of composers with a more personal vision and give them a bit different rhythm and dynamics. Therefore, we can hear the same music with various personal interpretations of each conductor.
The Musicians
To compose or play great classical music works, composers and musicians of this genre have to devote much time to studying and training in conservatories or colleges. Musicians have to develop a great technique and able to sense the characteristics of each work, as the times in which they were written.
In the Orquestra Clássica do Sul, the musicians are selected through auditions. Candidates come from all parts of the world, walk into a room and are placed behind a black cloth, so the juries that will evaluate are not able to identify them. Then they play excerpts of works chosen by the jury and the selection is made ??based only on the quality of the musician.
