The Orchestra Trivia Quiz

Answer: Four

There are four sections - strings, woodwind, brass and percussion.

Answer: Percussion

From the conductor's point of view, the piano is placed in the percussion section, unless it's being used as a solo instrument.

Answer: Sand drum

The Tom Tom is a cylindrical drum with no snare, originating in Native American cultures. Crotales are small, brass disks usually struck with mallets. Apart from being hung outside doors to play in the breeze, wind chimes have been used by some modern composers in orchestral pieces (e.g. Messiaen). To the best of my knowledge, no-one has yet invented a sand drum!

Answer: There was a keyboard player who would also beat time

Orchestras were small compared to modern orchestras. It was normal for a keyboard (like a harpsichord) to be used to provide a base on which the rest of the music was constructed - this was called the "continuo". If a keyboard instrument was not required, the lead violinist would direct. On some occasions - but quite rarely - a conductor would stand at the front to beat time.

As the symphony evolved in the second part of the eighteenth century, it would become more common for a conductor to be used to keep time.

Answer: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (1808)

The modern trombone is a descendant of the medieval sackbut. Mozart used it to great effect in his operas "Don Giovanni" and "The Magic Flute", but it was Beethoven, a generation or so later, who first used it in a symphony.
In fact, Beethoven's 5th and 6th symphonies were both premiered at the same concert, with the 6th being played in the first half and the 5th in the second half. Technically speaking, therefore, Beethoven's 6th symphony was the first to use a trombone!

Answer: Benjamin Britten

Britten wrote the music for a documentary to be shown on BBC television. It was subtitled: "Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell" as it was based on a piece of music from Purcell's "Abdelazar" suite.

Answer: The Royal Danish Orchestra

The Royal Danish Orchestra has its roots in the Royal Chapel or "Det Kongelige Kapel" Orchestra, founded by King Christian I in 1448. of course, it has changed tremendously in the intervening centuries, but it can claim to have survived continuously since that date.

The Halle Orchestra is the oldest orchestra in Britain, a mere 150 (or so) years old, and the other two more recent than that.

Answer: Greek: "dancing place"

The word has its roots in Greek theatre, being the area in front of the stage where the chorus sang and danced. The term was revived in seventeenth century France and used for the area in front of the stage where the instrumentalists sat. The term was later applied to the players themselves.

Answer: Violas

The string section is at the front of the orchestra - on the left are the violins, in the centre the violas and on the right are the cellos and double basses. Behind the strings is the woodwind section - flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; behind them come the brass instruments - horns, trumpets, trombones and tuba; at the very back, on the left, are the percussion instruments.

Answer: 6,400

On 15th May 2000, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and 6,400 students from schools and colleges in the province combined at B.C. Place in Vancouver. Together they played 9 minutes and 44 seconds of an arrangement of part of Beethoven's 9th symphony. Beat that!