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How large was the classical orchestra?

I am often asked how large the orchestras were when you compare Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart. Here I have made a chart that shows the number of parts in the score, based on the sources of the time. And I have extended it with a table that shows the number of musicians.

Classical orchestra: scoring comparison chart

In the score Added since the composer’s previous work Absent

Wind, brass and percussion parts in the score (not players). Haydn, Symphony No. 6 “Le Matin” (1761): 6 parts: flute, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns. Haydn, Symphony No. 46 (1772): 5 parts: 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns. Haydn, Symphony No. 104 “London” (1795): 13 parts: winds in pairs, with clarinets, trumpets and timpani. Mozart, Symphony No. 1, K. 16 (1764): 4 parts: 2 oboes, 2 horns. Mozart, Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” (1788): 10 parts: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani; no clarinets. Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 (1800): 13 parts: the same forces as Haydn’s London symphonies. Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” (1804): 14 parts: adds a third horn. Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 (1808): 18 parts: adds piccolo, contrabassoon and 3 trombones in the finale. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (1824): 23 parts: 4 horns; in the finale triangle, cymbals, bass drum, soloists and choir. Every symphony also has strings. WOODWINDS BRASS PERCUSSION PARTS Haydn Mozart Beethoven No. 6 “Le Matin”1761 6 No. 461772 5 No. 104 “London”1795 13 No. 1, K. 161764 4 No. 41 “Jupiter”1788 10 No. 11800 13 No. 3 “Eroica”1804 14 No. 51808 18 No. 91824 23 Wind, brass and percussion parts in the score (not players). Haydn, Symphony No. 6 “Le Matin” (1761): 6 parts: flute, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns. Haydn, Symphony No. 46 (1772): 5 parts: 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns. Haydn, Symphony No. 104 “London” (1795): 13 parts: winds in pairs, with clarinets, trumpets and timpani. Mozart, Symphony No. 1, K. 16 (1764): 4 parts: 2 oboes, 2 horns. Mozart, Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” (1788): 10 parts: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani; no clarinets. Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 (1800): 13 parts: the same forces as Haydn’s London symphonies. Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” (1804): 14 parts: adds a third horn. Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 (1808): 18 parts: adds piccolo, contrabassoon and 3 trombones in the finale. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (1824): 23 parts: 4 horns; in the finale triangle, cymbals, bass drum, soloists and choir. Every symphony also has strings. Haydn Mozart Beethoven No. 6 “Le Matin”1761 6parts No. 461772 5parts No. 104 “London”1795 13parts No. 1, K. 161764 4parts No. 41 “Jupiter”1788 10parts No. 11800 13parts No. 3 “Eroica”1804 14parts No. 51808 18parts No. 91824 23parts

Parts = wind, brass and percussion parts written in the score, not players. Every symphony also has strings; their number was not written down. In Beethoven’s Fifth the piccolo, contrabassoon and trombones play only in the finale; in the Ninth, the triangle, cymbals and bass drum.

Woodwinds piccolo · flute 1–2 · oboe 1–2 · clarinet 1–2 · bassoon 1–2 · contrabassoonBrass horn 1–4 · trumpet 1–2 · trombone 1–3Percussion timpani · triangle · cymbals · bass drum

© Daniel Fladmose · compositionteaching.com

Number of musicians at the first performances

Strings are given as first + second violins · violas · cellos · double basses. Winds: how many players took each written wind part, one or two.

Number of musicians at the first performances, 1795–1824: documented, estimated and inferred figures
WorkFirst performanceStringsPlayers per wind partBasis
Haydn, Symphony No. 103 2 March 1795Opera Concert, King’s Theatre, London —about 60 players in all — Documented Reported size of the orchestra [2]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 2 April 1800Burgtheater, Vienna 8 + 8 · 4 · 4 · 5 1 Estimate From a review that mentions five basses [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 5 April 1803Theater an der Wien 6 + 6 · 3 · 2 · 4 1 Estimate Approximate, after Adam Carse [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” 9 June 1804Palais Lobkowitz, Vienna (private) at least 3 + 3 · 2 · 2 · 2 1 Documented Beethoven’s letter asking for at least these forces [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” 7 April 1805Theater an der Wien (public) 6 + 6 · 3 · 2 · 4 1 Estimate Estimate [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 4 March 1807Palais Lobkowitz, Vienna 6 + 6 · 3 · 4 · 2 1 Inferred From a description of an earlier run-through [1]
Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 22 December 1808Theater an der Wien 12–16 violins · 3–4 · 3–4 · 3–5 1 Estimate Estimate [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 8 December 1813University Hall, Vienna at least 13 + 12 · 7 · 6 · 4 possibly 2 Inferred From a report of an earlier concert (1807–08) [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 8 27 February 1814Great Redoutensaal, Vienna 18 + 18 · 14 · 12 · 7 2, + 2 contrabassoons Documented Reported by Beethoven himself [1]
Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 7 May 1824Kärntnertortheater, Vienna 12 + 12 · 10 · 12 · 12choir of 80–100 2 Documented Schindler’s letter, after Thayer [1]

Notes

  • There was no single “Beethoven orchestra”. The Eroica was first played privately, in Prince Lobkowitz’s palace, with the forces of a chamber orchestra; the Eighth was first heard with 69 string players.
  • Haydn’s London orchestra of 1795 was larger than the orchestras at Beethoven’s own Vienna concerts of 1800–1808.
  • The scoring did not grow in a straight line. The Fourth Symphony has one flute, and the Seventh and Eighth return to two horns, two trumpets and no trombones.
  • For Haydn’s orchestra at the Esterházy court in the 1760s and 1770s, the figures in the literature differ, from about a dozen players to 22. None is given here.

Sources

  1. Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, “Beethoven orchestra discussions”: size and basis of the orchestra at each first performance of Beethoven’s symphonies.
  2. Wikipedia, “Symphony No. 103 (Haydn)”: the orchestra at the first performance, about 60 players.
  3. Scorings: the scores of Haydn’s Symphonies Nos. 6, 46 and 104, Mozart’s Symphonies No. 1 (K. 16) and No. 41 (K. 551) and Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 9.

Orchestration through style imitation: Haydn style · Beethoven style · the method

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