There are four sections of the orchestra: woodwind, brass, strings and percussion. Sometimes there will be a fifth group comprised of keyboard instruments.
The modern symphony orchestra varies in size, but it typically has approximately 100 players. The largest section is the strings, which comprises of 60-70% of the entire orchestra.
Numbers and layout vary, depending on the requirements of a particular score, or on the time period of the music being performed; 17th century orchestras were smaller than today's. The layout can also be affected by the conductor’s wishes, and the shape and size of the stage.
The most common layout is with the players arranged in a semi-circle facing the conductor, with the strings in front with the woodwinds behind them, and the brass behind the woodwinds. The percussion is usually sited at the very edge of the semi-circle.
Here you can see a flash animation of the seating arrangement of a major symphony orchestra:
As part of my research, I also looked for videos online where I could see each section of the orchestra demonstrated individually. I found the following collection provided by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales:
Further to this, an example of a piece of music which demonstrates all sections of the orchestra, is Benjamin Britten's "The Young Persons' Guide To The Orchestra":
I will now be exploring the suggested listening in the next part of this project, for an overview of repertoire written for each section of the orchestra.
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