Orchestral

Orchestral music means music specifically composed for a large number of instruments which are collectively called an orchestra. It is also used in defining works which are neither Symphonies or Concertos, which though orchestral in nature, have substantial canons and traditions of their own. An orchestral work can come in a variety of forms, from a short piece such as Barber's Adagio to a vast tone poem like Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben. Other types of work that fall under this category are the concert Overture, the Orchestral Suite (which contains a number of different movements but which lacks the overarching coherence of the Symphony), orchestral variations (for example Elgar's Enigma Variations) and pieces variously described as 'rhapsodies', and 'fantasias' that do not possess a formal structure. In terms of instrumentation an orchestral work can feature a full orchestra or music for a smaller wind ensemble such as Mozart's Gran Partita.