Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

By Maddy Shaw Roberts , ClassicFM 2K How come the flutes are always hidden behind the violins? And why can’t the tubas sit right next to the conductor and soak up a bit of the orchestral limelight which is totally snapped up by the strings anyway? When we think of the ‘traditional’ layout of an orchestra, we think of the  violins  directly to the left of the conductor and the violas in the centre, with the woodwind and then the percussion behind them. Then, the cellos and double basses are usually placed to the right of the conductor, with the brass section behind them. Loud wind together at the back, quieter strings together at the front – seems logical, right?  Well, until around 100 years ago, this format didn’t exist. In fact, the second violins used to be seated opposite the first violins, where the cellos normally are. This seating plan helped support the ‘antiphonal’ – or conversational – effect in the st...