Symphony Orchestra And Its Instruments

A book for both beginners and experts. Discusses what can properly be called a symphony orchestra and narrates the dramatic 400-year history of orchestras in the Western world. We follow the development of the conductors profession and learn how an orchestra is led — or misled — in practice. Finally the vast range of instruments that make orchestral sounds is explored. This book will expand the horizons of all those who listen to classical music and its close relations. It devotes as much attention to techniques of composing and conducting music, playing and making instruments, as to their impact on audiences — and on culture in general. Illustrated.