Music: Orchestral Prima Donnas

It takes at least 70 musicians to make a symphony orchestra, and they must be as carefully fitted as the parts of a machine. A symphony orchestra in good running order has from 28 to 34 violinists, from twelve to 14 viola players, from ten to twelve cellists, from eight to twelve contrabassists., It must have one piccolo player, two flutists, two oboists, an English-horn player, two clarinetists, a bass clarinetist, two bassoonists, a contrabassoonist, four or five horn players, three trumpeters, three trombonists, a tuba player, a kettledrummer, and a harpist. Each of these musical specialists is indispensable to the...