NAXOS The Instruments Of The Orchestra

The Instruments of the Orchestra is a 7 CD set, featuring all orchestral instruments in many contexts - orchestral, chamber, folk, solo, operatic, cinematic, even jazz and avant garde music - and in pieces from the Middle Ages to the present day. In addition to the regular members of the orchestra, there is also an exploration of more exotic orchestral instruments such as the gong, the typewriter and the wind machine. All the featured instruments are brought to life through a series of varied musical illustrations, showing them both in their most characteristic and their more unusual roles. To take an example, the trumpet is explored in many guises: as virtuoso soloist; as a ceremonial instrument; with drums; as the voice of the city; as swaggerer; as the voice of strength and courage; as a muted voice of weariness; as character actor and as the voice of God. The Instruments of the Orchestra also includes further educational sections such as 'Historical Profiles of the Major Instruments', 'The Greatest Instrument Makers', 'Instrumental Typecasting' and 'The Art of Orchestration and Transcription'. The Instruments of the Orchestra fits into a context of wider educational titles on Naxos. There are three other educational series - Life and Works, Classics Explained and Opera Explained as well as a wealth of broader titles like 'The A-Z of Classical Music' and The A-Z of Opera'. All these educational series are testament to Naxos' unceasing energy in its commitment to go beyond the bounds of standard classical recordings and widen the appeal of classical music. Via the voices of renowned actors and through the inclusion of apt musical illustrations from the Naxos catalogue, all these titles have a common purpose: to build a wider picture of the lives and times of the composers, the musicians and the instruments behind the great works, and to appeal to a variety of people who are interested in exploring the world of classical music.