Orchestra

Orchestra, instrumental group of more than a few players. The modern orchestra dates from the birth of opera, c.1600. The first great operatic composer, Claudio Monteverdi, wrote for orchestra, and for some time opera and orchestra music were closely linked. As the violin family replaced viols, composers like Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, and George Frideric Handel began to write purely orchestral music. The symphony was developed around the same time (1700) from the operatic overture. In the 18th century Franz Josef Haydn organized the orchestra into 4 groups: string, woodwind, brass, and percussion—a basic pattern that has not altered. With the great 18th- and 19th-century composers, the orchestra came to dominate the musical scene. New and more numerous instruments were introduced, permanent orchestras were established, and the art of conducting developed. The 20th century has seen a move to return to smaller ensembles.