Guiding You Through Basics of Orchestra and Orchestra Insurance

Orchestras are always intriguing to the people who haven't been a part of the world. For those who are striving hard to make a place, there are questions. Taking the opportunity, we have outlined everything that we know about the orchestra, making sure it works to be a good guide for you. Here we will take you through the orchestra, the seating arrangement and the difference between the orchestra and symphony. We will also help you with identifying a career in the orchestra.

So, shall we get started?

Orchestra vs Symphony
The basic difference between an orchestra and symphony would be: every symphony is an orchestra but, not every orchestra is a symphony.

An orchestra, for starters, is a term that defines an ensemble containing string and reed instruments. There are majorly two types of orchestras- the symphony orchestra and the chamber orchestra.

The chamber orchestra assembles 50 odd musicians, most of them play the string instruments. This orchestra sounds the chamber music, which is old tunes defined for the private halls or glitzy palace. There are some contemporary musicians who offer to play the chamber music but, they are few.

The symphony orchestra assembles close to 100 musicians, and they play an ensemble of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The symphonies are pieces that require a lot of instrument pieces, at least 18-25 in total, to create the effect.

So, if the orchestra has 100 odd people, it naturally becomes a symphony orchestra.

Let's now talk about the seating arrangement in an orchestra. A lot of you want to know why the musicians are seated the way they are.

Seating arrangement in orchestra
A very commonly observed scenario in the symphonies is that the oboes and tubas don't sit together. Similarly, the violins sit far away from the flutes. This may seem odd to the outsiders but, for those who have been living this profession, it is a norm.

When 1st and second violinist sit opposite to each other, they tend to create the 18th century stereo effect. The major reason for the seating arrangement is the acoustics. When they sit in the way they do, they hold musical conversations and face-offs, which is then conducted by the conductor, who is also the music director. They tend to call for the musicians using their hands.

Ideally, the seating arrangement is more or less as defined by the orchestra conductor though, it would make more sense if the composer were to define the seating arrangement.

Insurance for orchestra
Now that you are aware of the meaning of an orchestra, the need for a specific arrangement, and the role of the conductor, you need to look into the specifics of orchestra insurance. Why do you need one at all?

There are up to 100 musicians in the orchestra, which means you are talking about at least a 100 instruments. If something happens to the people or the instrument, the damage will be paid from your pockets. For damage costs and other issue settlement, it is always a good idea to purchase an orchestra insurance.