Page 56 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

listento...theharpanda glissando streaming online. listento...theflute streaming online.
the harp
Although originally a folk instrument, the harp (Figure 3.3) is sometimes added to the modern symphony orchestra. Its role is to lend its distinctive color to the orchestral sound and sometimes to create special effects, the most striking of which is a rapid run up or down the strings called a glissando. When the
notes of a triad are played in quick succession, up or down, an arpeggio results, a term derived from the Italian word for harp (arpa).
Woodwinds
The name “woodwind” was originally given to this family of instruments because they emit sound when air is blown through a wooden tube or pipe. Today, however, some of these “wooden” instru- ments are made entirely of metal. Flutes, for exam- ple, are constructed of silver, and sometimes of gold or even platinum. As with the violin group, there are four principal woodwind instruments in every modern symphony orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon (Figure 3.4). In addition, each of these has a close relative that is larger or smaller in size and that possesses a somewhat different timbre and range. The larger the instrument or length of pipe, of course, the lower the sound.
The lovely, silvery tone of the flute is probably familiar to you. The instrument can be rich in the lower register and light and airy at the top. It is es- pecially agile, capable of playing tones rapidly and moving quickly from one range to another.
Figure 3.3
Harpist Chelsea Lane. The harp’s unique special effect is its glissando, a rapid run up and down the strings that seems to fill the atmosphere with energized sound.
Listening Cue
Instruments of the Orchestra: Strings
what to listen for: The distinctive timbres and techniques of the string instruments watch . . . an Active Listening Guide of the strings online.
34 chapter three color, texture, and form
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Courtesy Chelsea Edwards Lane