Why are the musicians onstage playing before the concert begins?
Just like basketball players taking shots and practicing moves before
the game, musicians need to warm up their muscles and focus their
concentration. This is fun to listen to and to watch. Some of them are
working on the passages they need to polish up before the performance,
with no regard for what anyone else is practicing. Pick out the flute
or the trumpet playing a solo line over and over, and listen to how it
changes. Does it get smoother? If the player stops in the middle and
starts over, can you hear the reason why? (It's especially fun to
recognize these solos later in the performance! Give a silent cheer for
the player who nails the solo.)
Not all of the orchestra players practice onstage, of course. Just like the audience, everyone is doing his or her own thing. Some are talking; others are paging through their music. And some don't come onstage at all until a minute or two before the performance. But at concert time, everyone is in place and ready to start.
Why do the musicians wear formal black clothes?
This is a
long tradition that started a few centuries ago. Sometimes, these days,
musicians dress a little more casually. But they still try to look
uniform, so that the audience can concentrate on the music. Soloists
are the exception: they often dress differently, because they are the
focus of attention.
How come there are more stringed instruments than anything else?
The
sound of each individual stringed instrument is softer than a brass or
a woodwind instrument. But in large numbers, they make a magnificent,
rich sonority.
Why do their bows move together?
The players of each
individual section—first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and
doublebasses—play in unison most of the time. So all the cellos move
together, for instance. As you listen, noticing the different bowings
for each section gives you a visual clue to sort out the various
melodies you're hearing.
What does the concertmaster do?
The concertmaster sits in the
first chair of the first violins. S/he acts as leader of that section,
but also plays a leadership role with orchestra as a whole. S/he is
also the last orchestra musician to enter the stage before a concert,
and cues the oboe to "tune" the orchestra.
Why do all the musicians tune to the oboe?
The penetrating
tone of the oboe is easy for all players to hear, and its ability to
sustain pitch is very secure. The oboe plays the note "A," and all the
players make sure their "A" is exactly on the same pitch as the oboe's.
This ensures that they all are in agreement about the tuning before the
concert starts.
Why do the string players share stands?
Fewer stands mean
that the musicians, who are moving around quite a bit, have more room
to play freely. Also, because the strings play more continuously than
the other parts, their page turns can fall in inconvenient places where
there should be no break in the music. Look closely and you'll see that
the player on the outside keeps playing, while the player on the inside
briefly stops playing to turn the page.
Why does the conductor leave after every piece of music?
This
provides the conductor a little breather—a chance to collect his or her
thoughts before starting the next piece. If the applause is very
enthusiastic, the conductor will come onstage again, bow, and perhaps
recognize some musicians who played important solos in the piece. S/he
may depart again once or twice before moving on to the next piece on
the program.
Why don't the musicians smile while they play?
Look closely
and you'll see that some of them do! But in general, they are
concentrating deeply, just like outfielders waiting for the fly ball or
pitchers winding up to a curve ball. They're "in the Zone." After the
music is over, you may see them smiling broadly. If it was a concerto,
and they liked the soloist's playing, they won't just smile—the string
players will tap their stands with their bows as a sign of
appreciation.