Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Classical Music - Sunday 29 March 2015, 9pm

What's the difference between various kinds of ensemble? Catherine Bott delves into the world of orchestras.

A question that Catherine Bott is often asked is, ‘What’s the difference between various kinds of ensemble?’

In other words, is there something intrinsically different between a Symphony Orchestra and a Philharmonic Orchestra? Or between a Sinfonia and a Sinfonietta? 

And do different ensembles sound different from each other?

Tonight Catherine answers the question with music ranging from the distinctive brass sound of the London Symphony Orchestra and superb horn section of the Vienna Philharmonic, to a cinema classic played by the Boston Pops under movie maestro John Williams.