First Book About the Orchestra

Synopsis

Young children can discover the magic of the orchestra with this sound book. Each page has an embedded button to press to hear instruments from brass to drums, as well as the whole orchestra playing together. There are snippets of information about each instrument and a QR link to listen to the complete piece of music online.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Strings

* Instruments: Violins, violas, cellos, and double basses
* How they work: Played with a bow that causes the strings to vibrate, producing sound
* Example: The soaring violin solo in Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"

Chapter 2: The Woodwinds

* Instruments: Flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons
* How they work: Use an airstream to create sound through a reed or mouthpiece
* Example: The haunting melody of the oboe in Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending"

Chapter 3: The Brass

* Instruments: Trumpets, trombones, tubas, and horns
* How they work: Use a vibrating column of air to produce sound through a mouthpiece
* Example: The triumphant fanfares of the trumpets in Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5"

Chapter 4: The Percussion

* Instruments: Timpani, snare drums, cymbals, and xylophones
* How they work: Various methods of striking, shaking, or scraping to create sound
* Example: The thunderous roll of the timpani in Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"

Chapter 5: The Keyboard

* Instruments: Piano and harpsichord
* How they work: Depress keys that trigger hammers to strike strings or pluck keys
* Example: The delicate arpeggios of the piano in Debussy's "Clair de Lune"

Chapter 6: The Conductors

* Role: Leads the orchestra by controlling tempo, dynamics, and interpretation
* How they work: Use gestures, cues, and signals to guide the musicians
* Example: The charismatic Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic in "West Side Story"

Chapter 7: The Orchestra

* Formation: Musicians arranged in sections based on instrument families
* Purpose: To create a diversity of sounds and textures in a cohesive ensemble
* Example: The grand finale of Mahler's "Symphony No. 2, Resurrection," where all sections unite in a symphony of sound