Performance

The symphony orchestra is the most advanced musical machine ever created by humans. There is no other construct with such a wealth of timbres and sounds, creating a full palette of moods and emotions. It is a vast ensemble where nearly a hundred people start playing at exactly the same moment, synchronously slowing down and speeding up. Despite its size, it offers considerable interpretative freedom and can sound completely different depending on the conductor and their vision. How is this possible? Who ensures that the orchestra sounds pure? Can it perform without a conductor?

 

You will find answers to these and other questions at our educational concerts titled *Orchestral ABC*, part of the *Sunday Mornings* series. We will explain the instruments, demonstrate their various solo and ensemble sounds, and share interesting facts about working in such a large group. This is a unique opportunity to see and hear instruments that are usually hidden in the orchestra, as well as to talk with the artists who make up the Grand Theatre Orchestra in Łódź.

 

When we hear the "Triumphal March" from Giuseppe Verdi's opera *Aida* or the finale of the overture to Gioachino Rossini's opera *William Tell*, there is no doubt that the brass instruments are a section that a symphony orchestra cannot exist without. The most demanding and prominent instrument in this group is the trumpet, which requires the musician to have the greatest dexterity and physical condition, as well as good breath control. Additionally, it is a transposing instrument. What does that mean? Will other members of the brass section agree with the trumpet's primacy? Can brass instruments play softly? What are the most famous themes for brass aerophones? You will find out the answers to these questions and more at our second concert in the *Orchestral ABC* series.