Voices and instruments

The four most common types of voice, from highest to lowest are:

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

Opera - a sung drama presented on stage, in costume and to an instrumental accompaniment.

Recitative - a type of solo vocal music that uses speech rhythms and lots of pitch repetition

Operetta - light opera with spoken dialogue between the songs (precursor of the musical)

Oratorio - a large scale work for soloists, choirs and orchestra intended for a concert performance.

Cantata - a vocal composition in several movements

Plainsong - a type of chant traditionally performed by unaccompanied male voices

A cappella - unaccompanied singing

Woodwind:

2 flutes and a piccolo

2 oboes and a cor anglais

2 clarinets and a bass clarinet

2 bassoons and a contrabassoon

Brass:

4 horns

3 trumpets

3 trombones and a bass trombone

1 tuba

Percussion:

timpani

untuned percussion

tuned percussion

Strings:

harp

first violins (approx 14 players)

second violins (approx 13 players)

violas (approx 12 players)

cellos (approx 10 players)

double bass (approx 9 players)