Full Orchestra: What's it Like?

Experience

Being a clarinetist, or playing any instrument that doesn't have a bow, in a full orchestra is an amazing experience. Way in the back, we get to watch the movement of the string players as they move back and forth to the music, while having a perfect view of the conductor. As a clarinetist, I am right in between a sea of strings and a plethora of noise blaring into my ear drums from the brass and percussion. While this may sound unpleasant, it is the best seat in the orchestra because it's basically like having surround sound while you perform. One thing that may seem obvious about playing in an ensemble, but is very important, is that you cannot hear what the orchestra sounds like, because you are sitting in the middle of it. Since we can't hear how loud or soft we are to the audience, we have to put our full trust in the conductor. But, the conductor has 99 other musicians to worry about, so she can't always tell us if we are at the correct dynamic or using the right style. Now I know what you might be thinking, "there are dynamics written on the page, silly." While this is true, dynamics of compositions have to be adjusted for the size and level of ability of the orchestra. Fortunately, that is what months of rehearsal is for. When you think about it, about 36 hours of rehearsal and countless hours of practice on musicians' own time to play a 1-2 hour concert sounds ridiculous. Despite the many hours of repeating the same passages over and over again until they're right, there's a small chance that it will go wrong in the concert. But usually, besides occasional hiccups, concerts showcase all the hard work and time the musicians and conductor have put into the music and they go exceptionally well.

Figure 1. Empire State Youth Orchestra performing at Melodies of Christmas 2015.

Source: http://www.proctors.org/events/cbs-6-melodies-christmas

Repertoire

Classical music may seem boring, but it is in fact very exciting and tells stories as it is played. The video below is a recording of theL'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande performing Alexander Borodin's Symphony No. 2. At first, it may seem like just another classical piece, but it has a very intriguing story behind it. Borodin composed this piece based on knights and heroic figures in ancient Russia. The first movement depicts an assembly of Russian knights, the second movement, Scherzo, is a quick chase, the third movement is about a legendary minstrel who appears in the Lay of Igor's Campaign, and the finale refers to a knights feast and jubilant celebration¹. It may not be the up-beat pop music you listen to in the car or the pump-up rap music you listen to at the gym, but the next time you have some homework to do, classical music is the perfect accompaniment to your assignment.

If you want to be empowered by an assembly of Russian Knights, click here.
If you're running all over the place, click here to be accompanied by a quick chase.
If you want to hear a tale of a legendary minstrel, click here.
If you're in an upbeat mood, click here.


¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._2_(Borodin)