I like to think I’m an intelligent person. I studied in school, I read regularly, and I listen to WNED Classical, and I watch WNED PBS. But sometimes I’m shocked by simple things I discover that I don’t know. For instance, I really don’t know the difference between jam and jelly, concrete and cement, or mules and jackasses. (Well, sometimes I can identify jackasses, but I digress.)
In this installment of Classical Snack, I’ll attempt to clear-up two musical terms that even we intelligent classical music fans sometimes confuse.
The terms symphony and orchestra are often confused. For the most part, no one really cares, but technically speaking, there is a difference. A symphony is a piece of music. An orchestra is a group of musicians. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is a symphony. Orchestras play it. A symphony is not an orchestra. An orchestra is not a symphony.
The confusion comes from the fact that certain orchestras are called symphony orchestras. Symphony orchestras are large orchestras that include instruments from all families – brass, percussion, strings, and woodwinds. They have the forces to play large symphonies. This is where the confusion lies. Folks shortened the term symphony orchestra to just symphony. After a while, folks started calling their symphony orchestra simply their symphony.
(The term for a smaller orchestra, by the way, is chamber orchestra. Chamber orchestras have fewer musicians and sometimes only include string instruments – violins, violas, cellos, and basses.)
I hope you found this attempt to clarify the difference between symphony and orchestra helpful. If you think this was fun, wait until next time when we tackle chorus vs. choir. In the meantime, I’ll read about the difference between stuffing and dressing. Thanksgiving is only three months away!
Thank you for reading Classical Snack. If you have questions or comments about this blog, or a suggestion for a future blog, please write to me at mwimmer@wned.org. I’d enjoy hearing from you.
Marty Wimmer is your Midday Host on WNED Classical. He’s been with WNED since 1995. Recently retired from a long career as a public school music teacher, Marty is thrilled that he still gets to talk about music every day. He lives in Buffalo and is grateful for the many good friends he has in our local classical music community. You can reach Marty at mwimmer@wned.org
