The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, Op. 34: Theme A: Allegro maestoso e largamente (Full Orchestra)

In order to show you how a big symphony orchestra is put together
Benjamin Britten has written a big piece of music
Which is made up of smaller pieces
That show you all the separate parts of the orchestra
These smaller pieces are called variations
Which means different ways of playing the same tune
First of all he lets us hear the tune, or theme
Which is a beautiful melody by the much older British composer, Henry Purcell
Here is Purcell's theme played by the whole orchestra together

[Orchestra playing]

Now, Mr. Britten lets you hear the four different families of the orchestra
Playing the same Purcell theme in different ways
First, we heae the woodwind family
The flutes, the oboes, the clarinets and the bassoons

[Flutes playing]

Here comes the brass family
The trumpets, the horns, the trombones and the tubas

[Brass playing]

Now, Mr. Britten arranges the Purcell theme for the string family
The violins, the violas, the cellos and the double basses
And of course, the harp

[String instruments playing]

And finally the percussion family
All those drums and gongs and things you hit

After this, you will hear the theme by Purcell
Played once more in its original form by all four families together
That is, the whole orchestra

[Original theme playing]