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Does anyone know what the lead instrument of the orchestra is?

Question #76807. Asked by nibbles0011.
Last updated Aug 29 2016.

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lanfranco
Answer has 5 votes
Currently Best Answer
lanfranco
20 year member
4170 replies avatar

Answer has 5 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
Well, I suppose one would say the first violin. The holder of the first violin chair is called the Concertmaster.

Scroll down a bit, and be prepared for the fact that this site has audio:

[ carsonvalleypops.org/index_page0010.htm link no longer exists ]



Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 29 2016.
Mar 06 2007, 10:05 AM
toughynutter
Answer has 4 votes
toughynutter
18 year member
303 replies

Answer has 4 votes.
There are multiple lead instruments in an orchestra depending on the composer and the arangement by the conductor some may be more promienent than others at any give time. Also cetain styles and orchestration favor different instruments.

but "Concertmaster. The "first-chair" violinist (to the conductor's immediate left) supervises the tuning of the orchestra and is a vital liaison between the conductor and the orchestra"

Mar 06 2007, 10:26 AM
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Baloo55th
Answer has 3 votes
Baloo55th
22 year member
4545 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.
The first first violinist is called the Leader in the UK. The first violin is the leader of a string quartet, too, no matter how democraticaly they organise themselves. The music is written that way. It's always the leader who gives up his/her fiddle to the guest soloist when a string breaks - probably because they are reckoned to have the next best instrument in the house... Concert master has a Germanic sound to it - Konzertmeister - and probably is a translation of that.

Mar 06 2007, 10:30 AM
Arpeggionist
Answer has 3 votes
Arpeggionist
21 year member
2173 replies

Answer has 3 votes.
It used to be a real power struggle between the first violinist and the real "concertmaster" - a precursor of the conductor who would lead performances from the keyboard. Often times the first cellist would share some of the "Kapelmeister" responsibilities (as in the case of Bocherini and Vanhall).

But as the position of the conductor developed into one where the conductor was no longer playing an actual instrument, the first violinist assumed the position of the most powerful instrumentalist in the orchestra. Concertmasters today deal with a wide range of responsibilities, and have to know how to conduct in case the conductor is temporarily unavailable at a rehearsal.




Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 29 2016.
Mar 06 2007, 10:37 AM
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elburcher star
Answer has 4 votes
elburcher star
24 year member
1527 replies avatar

Answer has 4 votes.
Every instrumental group (or section) has a principal (or soloist) who is generally responsible for leading the group and playing solos. The violins are divided into two groups, first violin and second violin, and therefore have two principals. The principal first violin is called the concertmaster (or leader) and is considered the leader of not only the string section, but of the entire orchestra, subordinate only to the conductor.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra

Mar 06 2007, 4:11 PM
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