Column #2

Jeff Campbell

June 20, 2007

Be careful with that overgrown baton!

A musicologist is an academic person who studies the history of music. In the traditional sense, a musicologist studies the music of the Western classical tradition written by people such as Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, and Beethoven. In the recent past, musicologists have expanded their sphere of study to include music from non-western cultures from places such as Bali or Ghana. Musicologists are even studying the music of the Beatles and Elvis Presley.

With this brief introduction into the world of musicology, I must tell you that I AM NOT a musicologist, only a music historian hobbyist. But since our Birch Creek Symphony has arrived in Door County and will open the season on June 21, I thought it would be interesting to trace the origins of the Symphony Orchestra (remembering, of course, that I’m not a musicologist).

The idea of an orchestra was not born out of one mind but rather came through many types of instrumental groupings. Eventually, around the year 1600, a composer named Claudio Monteverdi began to compose music for a new genre called opera. He called for specific instruments to accompany his opera such as viols (the predecessor to the violin family), flutes, oboes, cornets, trombones, harps, harpsichords, and a small pipe organ.

The next incantation of the orchestra was dominated by bowed stringed instruments such as the violin, viola, violoncello, and double bass. To help augment the sound, oboes, flutes, and trumpets were added. At this point, the idea of a ‘conductor’ as we know it did not exist. Instead, a harpsichord player situated at the front of the orchestra served as a type of coordinator/conductor. In some cases, a musical director would stand at the front of the orchestra and beat time with a large pole. On one such occasion, a well-known French composer named Jean-Baptiste Lully accidentally struck his foot with the pole, contracted gangrene, and died.

During the lifetime of composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (roughly 1750-1827), more instruments were added to the orchestra, such as the French horn, piccolo, and the contra bassoon. Keyboard players no longer led the groups and the role of the conductor, as we know it was established. In the 19th century, the orchestra continued to expand with composers such as Berlioz, Schubert, Brahms, and Dvorak.

Now remember, I am not a professional musicologist – only a music history hobbyist. But I tell you these things so that when you come to one of our Birch Creek Symphony concerts, you’ll have a little more insight into the history of the symphony orchestra. Also, if you see our conductor, Brian Groner, using a large pole to conduct the orchestra, please make sure he’s wearing steel-toed shoes.