Orchestra

Orchestras can be understood as large instrumental ensembles, and usually include a diversity of instrument families: percussion, winds, strings, and brass. In the West, the orchestra grew in earnest beginning with the early Baroque era in the seventeenth century, and reached its peak in size to meet the epic compositions of nineteenth century Romantic era writers such as Liszt and Wagner. Composers from Igor Stravinsky to John Adams used orchestras of varying sizes throughout the twentieth century, until a late-century movement in favor of historically accurate performing practices made smaller orchestras playing period instruments more common for Baroque and Classical Era compositions.