Course Details

9503: Instruments of the Orchestra

February 3-6
11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
In-Person

Everyone who loves classical music has felt the power, variety, and beauty of an orchestra. But how do the various instruments produce their sounds? How are they played, and what gives each one its distinctive tone and timbre? Join us for a survey of orchestral instruments. We will consider each major group of instruments—strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion—to see how they are constructed, how they are played, what gives them their particular sounds, and how composers use them to achieve the immense variety of musical effects that we find so affecting.

Class Type: Appreciation

Class Format: In-Person

Hours of Reading: No reading

Study Group Leader(s):

Ray Squitieri

Ray Squitieri is a retired economist. In Washington he worked at the US Department of Treasury, and the Council of Economic Advisors, mostly on energy and environmental analysis. In retirement, he has taught courses at OLLI, including classical music and opera, modern European history, modern Chinese history, economic history, linguistics, and acoustics.