The word “orchestra” comes from the Greek language, and means “place to dance.” This takes us to the fifth century BC, when performances took place in open-air theaters (amphitheaters).
In front of the main stage area there was a space for the singers, dancers, and instruments. This space was called the orchestra. Today, the word orchestra refers to a numerous group of musicians playing together. The exact number depends on the type of music.
The history of the orchestra, referring to a group of musicians, dates back to to the beginning of the sixteenth century; however, in reality, this “organized” group really took form at the beginnings of the the eighteenth century. Before then, the ensembles varied greatly; a random group of performers, often formed by whichever musicians were available in the area.
The number of musicians has varied throughout the centuries according to the interests of the composer. As such, the orchestra was reformed by Beethoven, Mozart, Berlioz, etc. who added instruments according to the style of the composition.
Today the orchestra is formed as illustrated below, though we may find that instruments are added as soloists, such as the piano, or human voices in the form of choirs, choruses, or soloists, and even occasionally instruments such as the castanet.
In front we find the conductor, who guides the musicians to correctly coordinate the entrance and synchronization of each instrument with the group.
In representation of the orchestra, the first violin will be greeted or congratulated by he conductor each time he or she needs to greet or congratulate the orchestra as a whole.
There are many varieties of orchestra: chord, symphonic, chamber, etc.
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