MUSICAL ENSEMBLES

 It is essential that you remember the difference between an ensemble and agenre. An ensemble (pronounced "ON-SAHM-BULL") is a group of musicians playing together. Ensembles range in size from smaller groups, such as string quartets (four players), to larger ensembles such as the symphony orchestra. The "type" of piece that a musician plays (such as symphony, concerto, Mass, motet, etc.) is the genre (pronounced "GSHAN-RUH")—the category of musical composition. For the most part, the terms for genres and ensembles are easily distinguishable. In a few cases, however, the same term can be used to describe BOTH a genre AND the ensemble that plays it. For example, the string quartet is a four-player chamber ensemble BUT it is also a genre. In other words, Beethoven's String Quartet in C minor is performed by an ensemble of four string players, but this work is also an example of the string quartetgenre. The term symphonycan also refer to BOTH a genre and the ensemble that plays it. It might be helpful to illustrate this with a musical example from a concert program

You can probably tell right away that the performingensemble is a symphony orchestra. Now, what genreof music is being performed? It is evident by the title, Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, that the genre is also a symphony. Each individual movement of this four-movement work has its own form (you can tell there are four movements because there are four Italian tempo indications listed below the title of the work).

The following are descriptions of the most common "classical" ensembles

ENSEMBLES (performing groups)

Large Ensembles

Orchestra (also called Symphony or Symphony Orchestra) divided into four main families of instruments: string, woodwind, brass, and percussion. The illustration below shows one possible arrangement in relation to the conductor    

  Concert Band

an orchestra without strings, with more emphasis given to the brass, woodwind and percussion. Types include symphonic band, jazz or dance band, and military band.

Choir (or Chorus)

a body of singers divided into sections according to voice type. Choirs may be all male, all female, or mixed (women: soprano & alto / men: tenor & bass).

Small Ensembles

Basso Continuoprovided an improvised harmonic accompaniment for many types of Baroque music (similar in function to the keyboard and bass instruments in today's jazz, rock and pop styles). Basso continuo was usually comprised of a keyboard instrument (harpsichord or organ) and a melodic bass instrument (cello or viol' da gamba)

Chamber Ensembles

groups of 1 to 10 players that perform chamber music (usually without a conductor). The string quartet and the woodwind quintet are the most common examples of modern chamber ensembles

The String Quartet

an instrumental ensemble with four players (two violins, viola and cello)

The Woodwind Quintet

(a quintet is any chamber ensemble having five players). A woodwind quintet is a specific group of four woodwind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon) plus "French" Horn (a brass instrument that blends well with winds).