W H I T A K E R’S W O R L D O F F A C T S
4
This edition published 2010 First published in 2005 by A&C Black Publishers Ltd 36 Soho Square London W1D 3QY www.acblack.com www.whitakersworld.com Copyright © A&C Black Publishers Ltd Text © Russell Ash/Russell Ash Limited 2010 The right of Russell Ash to be identified as the author of this book has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Produced for A&C Black by White-Thomson Publishing Ltd 0843 208 7460 www.wtpub.co.uk Illustrators Alan Baker (Illustration), Julian Baker, KJA-artists Religions consultant Martin Palmer, ICOREC Sports consultant Ian Morrison All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – photographic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without the prior written permission of the publishers. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-4081-3007-0 Printed and bound in China by C&C Offset Limited This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. The publishers make no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions.
5
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
8
LIFE SCIENCES
About this Book
9
Trees and Plants
50
Science
76
Animal Kingdom
52
The Elements
78
Mammals
54
Inventions
80
TIME The Story of Time
12
Sea Life
56
Mathematics
82
Time Periods
14
Flying Animals
58
Weights and Measures
84
The Calendar
16
Insects and Spiders
60
Computers and the Internet
86
Reptiles and Amphibians
62
Telecommunications
88
Man and Beast
64
Pet Power
66
Endangered and Extinct
68
Environmental Concerns
70
Rubbish and Recycling
72
SPACE The Universe
20
The Solar System 1
22
The Solar System 2
24
Astronomy
26
Space Exploration
28
Astronauts
30
PLANET EARTH Rocks and Minerals
34
Land Features
36
Rivers and Lakes
38
The World’s Oceans
40
Climate
42
Weather
44
Natural Disasters
46
HUMAN BODY Human Body
92
Body Facts and Records
94
Health and Medicine
96
Food and Drink
98
CONTENTS
Introduction
CONTENTS
6
PEOPLE
WORLD HISTORY
CONFLICT AND CRIME
Historical Ages
102
Names
146
Weapons and Forces
178
Historical Events
104
Families and Relationships
148
Wars and Battles
180
World Civilizations and Empires
106
People Who Changed the World
150
The Law
182
Rulers and Leaders
108
Exploration and Endeavour
152
Crime
184
World Politics
110
Celebrities
154
Kids World
156
COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD BELIEFS AND IDEAS
WORK AND HOME Around the House
188
Toys and Games
190
World Map
114
Countries of the World
116
Ancient Religions
160
Work and Wealth
192
Cities of the World
118
World Religions
162
Energy
194
North and Central America
120
Sacred Texts
164
Central and South America
122
Christianity
166
Europe
124
Festivals
168
Africa
130
Myths and Legends
170
Asia
136
Predictions and Prophecies
172
Australasia
142
The Unexplained
174
BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
Building Styles
198
Great Buildings
200
Skyscrapers
202
Bridges and Tunnels
204
Wonders of the World
206
TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL Water Transport
210
Land Transport
212
Rail Transport
214
Air Transport
216
Transport Disasters
218
Tourism
220
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
7
SPORTS 224
Sport Facts
278
Communication
226
Sporting Events
280
Books
228
The Olympics
282
Authors
230
Athletics
284
Children’s Books
232
Ball Games
286
Poets and Poetry
234
Football
288
Newspapers and Magazines
236
Racquet Sports
290
Combat, Strength and Target Sports
292
Water Sports
294
Wheel Sports
296
Winter Sports
298
Animal Sports
300
EDUCATION AND THE ARTS Education
240
Famous Artists
242
Museums and Monuments
244
Collecting
246 LAST LISTS
MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE World of Music
250
Classical Music
252
Popular Music
254
Theatre
256
Dance
258
Ballet
260
FILM, TV AND RADIO Film Facts
264
Blockbusters
266
Film Winners
268
Animated Films
270
The Stars
272
TV and Radio
274
Dead Ends
304
Last of Everything
306
Index
308
Acknowledgements
316
CONTENTS
Language
INTRODUCTION
8
elcome to the sixth annual edition of Whitaker’s World of Facts. It has been updated with many new and astonishing facts and hundreds of exciting pictures to help you to keep track of recent world record-breakers, find out about the latest scientific discoveries and medical marvels, new technology and gadgets and anniversaries coming in 2011.
W
Facts, figures and freaky stuff Whitaker’s World of Facts is divided into 20 sections – Film, TV and Radio, People, World History and The Human Body, to name but a few. Detailed lists and charts show global comparisons, while special features, factfiles and FactDisks provide fast information on a huge range of subjects, with data from authoritative sources and specialists on every subject imaginable - the environment, the people and the crucial events that shape our marvellous world. The countless new entries include London’s most haunted theatre and the youngest person to sail round the world; facts about animals with the biggest brains to giant squid and the life raft sunk by an elephant; the bestselling albums, the richest actors and the highest-earning films; the most expensive work of art ever sold, the most valuable comics, the largest drum, the smallest gun, the biggest Ferris wheel and the fastest roller coaster; the world’s mostwatched sporting leagues, the top Olympic medal-winners – and the heaviest heavyweight boxer. A section on countries gives up-to-date and crucial information, including population, capital city and currency for every country in the world, as well as the flag of each one. Timelines on subjects such as communications, astronomy, wars and inventions give a see-at-a-glance overview and pinpoint important milestones up to the present day. Useful maps, tables and formulae include conversions, mathematical symbols and scales, from Beaufort (weather) to Richter (earthquakes).
Other features Web link boxes suggest useful websites to help you explore subjects further. See also boxes guide you to information on a particular subject elsewhere in the book. There is an extensive index at the back of the book, as well as a list of sources.
Whitaker’s World Website You can write to me with comments, suggestions and corrections at the publisher’s address on page four or via the Whitaker’s World of Facts website www.whitakersworld.com
Russell Ash
9
Coloured bars identify each section of the book
Follow these web links for more information
FactDisks identify unique facts
Find crossreferences throughout the book in these boxes
FactDisks highlight key facts
Timelines give you all the key milestones up to the present day
Lists give you the latest facts and figures, dates and rankings for all kinds of subjects
ABOUT THIS BOOK
About this book
Life Sciences Saving the tiger In 2010 the Indian Government announced that it was intending to ban tourists from visiting the country’s 37 tiger reserves. The total number of tigers in the wild in India is uncertain, ranging from 800–1,400 but it is known to be dwindling. Although they attract many tourists, fear of extinction in some reserves caused by poaching and the stress resulting from the presence of tourist vehicles and luxury resorts in the tigers’ territory has made this policy necessary.
50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72
TREES AND PLANTS ANIMAL KINGDOM MAMMALS SEA LIFE FLYING ANIMALS INSECTS AND SPIDERS REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS MAN AND BEAST PET POWER ENDANGERED AND EXTINCT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS RUBBISH AND RECYCLING
TREES AND PLANTS
50
Top food plants
Banana facts
very year the people of the world eat more than 2.5 billion tonnes of cereals, 916 million tonnes of vegetables and 572 million tonnes of fruit.
Although bananas grow on trees, botanically the banana is a herb.
• • •
E
Bananas grow upwards, not down.
A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers – the word banan is Arabic for finger.
The countries where these crops are grown keep some for consumption by their own inhabitants and export a proportion to earn money. In recent years, the idea of ‘Fair Trade’ has become an important issue as attempts are made to ensure that growers, especially in developing countries, receive a fair price for their products, are not exploited by richer countries and farm their land sustainably. Crop Sugar cane Maize Rice Wheat Potatoes Sugar beet Cassava Soybeans Barley Sweet potatoes Tomatoes Watermelons Bananas Cabbages Grapes Sorghum Onions Apples Oranges Coconuts
Tonnes per annum 1,743,092,995 822,712,527 685,013,374 689,945,712 314,140,107 227,585,414 232,950,180 230,952,636 157,644,721 110,128,298 129,649,883 99,194,223 90,705,922 69,664,185 67,708,587 65,534,273 66,829,917 69,603,640 67,695,802 61,094,243
The dense undergrowth of a tropical rainforest
•
The first bananas grown in the Americas were planted in 1516 on the island of Hispañiola by Spanish missionary Tomás de Berlanga.
•
India grows more bananas than any other country in the world, nearly 22 million tonnes a year, more than a quarter of the total world crop.
•
Worldwide, more than 80 million tonnes of bananas are eaten every year.
Bananas grow well in tropical climates.
Important crops These are the most important crops grown for uses other than food. Cotton (clothing, household items) 65,985,197 tonnes per annum Rubber (tyres, shoes, balls, erasers) 10,605,618 tonnes p.a. Tobacco (cigarettes, cigars) 6,881,434 tonnes p.a. Jute (sacks, rope) 2,837,519 tonnes p.a.
Going Bananas • The phrase ‘going bananas’ was first recorded in the 1930s, perhaps because of their connection with the wild behaviour of monkeys. • In 1987 Peter Dowdeswell (UK) set a record for eating 17 bananas in 1 minute 47 seconds. • In an average year there are more than 300 banana-related accidents in Britain, most involving people slipping on skins. Billy • Jones’s recording of the song Yes! We Have No Bananas was US No.1 for five weeks in 1923.
World forests orests cover 29.6 per cent of Earth’s land and almost a quarter of these are in Russia. There are three main types of forest which grow in particular climates in different parts of the world.
F • • •
Tropical forests or rainforests grow near the Equator where it is always hot and wet. Here, temperatures are about 20–25˚C (68–77°F) and there is more than 200 cm (79 in) of rain a year. Temperate forests grow in places that have hot summers and cold winters. The summers can be as hot as 30˚C (86°F) and winters as cold as -30˚C (-22°F). Average rainfall is about 75–150 cm (30–59 in) a year. Many trees are deciduous (drop their leaves in autumn). Boreal or taiga forests grow in Russia, Canada and elsewhere in the far north. Winters are long and very cold. There is rainfall of 40–100 cm (16–39 in) a year, but most falls as snow. Most trees are evergreen conifers (cone-producing trees with needle-like leaves).
51
Dangerous plants Potatoes are safe to eat when cooked, but the stems and leaves of the plants contain a poison called solanine. If potatoes turn green, they may also contain solanine. Ricin is extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant and is more poisonous than cyanide or snake venom. Even minute doses of ricin can be fatal. Opium is extracted from the juice of a poppy and contains morphine. Small quantities of both are used legally as painkillers and illegally as drugs. Both can easily cause death.
The death cap is a highly poisonous mushroom. It is responsible for almost 90 per cent of deaths from eating fungi. The poison causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
• • • •
Curare is extracted from the bark of certain trees and is used by South American Indian tribes to tip their poison arrows when they go hunting. Deadly nightshade is also known as belladonna. It contains a poison called atropine. Less than 10 milligrams (0.0004 oz) could kill a child. Nicotine is a yellow oily liquid found in tobacco. About 50 milligrams (0.002 oz) of nicotine would kill an adult within minutes.
The leaves of the purple foxglove contain digitalis and eating just a few can be fatal. Digitalis is used in tiny doses to treat people suffering from heart disease.
Purple foxglove
Bristlecone pine tree
Record-breaking plants
• Tallest tree
The world’s tallest tree is called the Stratosphere Giant. It grows in the Rockefeller Forest, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California. At 112.32 m (369 ft), this redwood is almost three times the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
• Biggest living thing
The General Sherman giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park, California, USA, is the world’s largest living thing. It is 83.8 m (275 ft) tall and measures 2.53 m (8.3 ft) round its mighty trunk. Including its huge root system, the tree weighs about 2,000 tonnes.
• Smallest flowering plant
Wolffia, a kind of duckweed, is just 0.6 mm (0.024 in) long and weighs about as much as two grains of salt. Its seeds are also the tiniest known – they weigh only 70 micrograms (0.0000025 oz), as much as a single grain of salt.
Oldest trees The bristlecone pines in California and Nevada, USA, are almost 5,000 years old and were long believed to be the oldest trees. Latest research suggests that creosote bushes in the USA’s Mojave Desert may be even older – some of these plants began life nearly 12,000 years ago.
www.fao.org
search
LIFE SCIENCES
• • • •
Human
Body 92 94 96 98
HUMAN BODY BODY FACTS AND RECORDS HEALTH AND MEDICINE FOOD AND DRINK
Human genome map 10 years ago, the Human Genome Project first mapped the genes found in the chromosomes of the human body. It is now possible visually to compare the genetic components of a single chromosome, revealing which are unique to a human and which are shared with other animals – in this diagram, those of a mouse. In 2011, the cost of reading a person's whole genome will start to become cheap enough for mainstream use in hospitals. Doctors will soon be able to use genetic sequencing machines to identify a patient’s gene variants, which could help them select more effective methods of providing treatment and combating diseases.
FOOD AND DRINK
98
Cheese and milk supply fat and protein
Fish is rich in protein
Roadkill recipes ating roadkill (animals that have been killed on the road) has occurred ever since there have been cars. In the USA, where deer and other large animals are common victims, a number of recipe books and websites have been devoted to the subject.
E Fruit and vegetables supply minerals and vitamins
Britain’s first “flattened fauna” (squashed animals) cookbook was announced in 2006 by Arthur Boyt of Davidstow, Cornwall, who has included badger, fox, weasel and bat among his meals over the past 50 years. His roadkill recipes include one for spaghetti with hedgehog.
Bread and pasta contain starch
Eating a zoo During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the inhabitants of Paris were under siege and starving, so after eating all the horses, dogs, cats and rats they could find in the city, they decided to eat the contents of the Paris Zoo, including two elephants called Castor and Pollux, along with a yak, zebra and other animals.
What we eat family food survey is carried out in the UK every year. The latest figures for what we eat in the home (not including takeaways and eating out) show that the average person will consume more than 50 tonnes of food and drink in an 80-year lifespan. These are some of the main items in the survey, and the amounts each of us can expect to eat in our lives:
A
Milk and cream (including yoghurt, etc) 8,253 kg (18,195 lb) Soft drinks 7,014 kg (15,463 lb) Vegetables 4,742 kg (10,453 lb) Fresh fruit 3,557 kg (7,842 lb) Potatoes 3,249 kg (7,163 lb) Alcoholic drinks 3,211 kg (7,079 lb) Bread 2,816 kg (6,274 lb) Cereals and cereal products 2,230 kg (4,916 lb) Fruit juice 1,414 kg (3,117 lb) Poultry 1,044 kg (2,302 lb) Fats 753 kg (1,660 lb) Fish 686 kg (1,512 lb) Biscuits 678 kg (1,495 lb)
Cakes and pastries 661 kg (1,457 lb) Sweets 537 kg (1,184 lb) Sugar and preserves (jam, etc) 520 kg (1,146 lb) Cheese 495 kg (1,091 lb) Bacon and ham 453 kg (999 lb) Eggs 399 kg (880 lb) Pasta 383 kg (844 lb) Beverages (tea, coffee, etc) 233 kg (514 lb) Mutton and lamb 229 kg (505 lb) Flour 225 kg (496 lb)
99
Extreme dining
HUMAN BODY
A company called Dinner in the Sky offers diners in a number of countries the experience of eating a meal while suspended 50 metres (164 ft) above the ground. A table and chairs is lifted up by a crane and up to 22 guests – strapped in with seatbelts – are served by a chef and catering staff in the middle of the table. Musicians, including a grand piano, can also be winched up to provide entertainment.
Tea time
The drinks we drink Soda water Carbonated water – water with carbon dioxide forced into it to make it sparkling – was invented by Dr William Brownrigg of Whitehaven, UK, in 1741. One of the most famous manufacturers was German-born scientist Jean Jacob Schweppe who moved to London in 1792. By the 1870s the company he founded was also making ginger ale and Indian Tonic Water, by adding quinine to sweetened soda water, after the style of the British in India who drank it as an antidote to malaria.
Bottled water
Tea is made from the dried leaves of a plant. It has been drunk in China since ancient times, but was not known in Europe until the early 17th century. It is mainly grown in tropical countries such as India and Turkey, but some varieties can be cultivated in cooler climates. Paper tea bags became popular in the USA in the 1920s, but were not sold in the UK until 1952. Tea time, a light meal taken in the later afternoon, became a cultural activity in Britain, where tearooms became common in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Drinking mineral water from natural springs has been done since Roman times and became fashionable in the 18th century when people went to spa towns to bathe and undergo medical treatments. It is claimed that water from Malvern, UK, was bottled as early as 1622, while French mineral water became especially popular, including Evian (1826), Badoit (1838), Vittel (1882) and Perrier (1898). Perrier’s club-shaped bottles were designed to resemble the Indian clubs used for exercise by the spa’s British owner William Albert St John Harmsworth.
Carbonated drinks The first Coca-Cola was served in Jacob’s Pharmacy, in Atlanta, Georgia, on 8 May 1886. It was the creation of pharmacist Dr John Stith Pemberton. It was first served in bottles in 1894 (although its distinctive bottle design was not introduced until 1915) and in cans in 1955. Its rival Pepsi dates from 1898, when it was named ‘Brad’s Drink’ after its inventor Caleb Bradham. It was trademarked as Pepsi-Cola in 1903.
Tea picker in India
&
Beliefs
Ideas Sagrada Familia One of the longest-ever major building projects reached a milestone in 2010 when part of the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, was scheduled to open for worship in September, and then be consecrated by the Pope in November. The striking design is by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Construction started in 1882 and is unlikely to be completed before 2026. It has undergone many changes in its 128-year construction with new elements being incorporated and the latest building methods applied. More than 2 million tourists a year visit the cathedral.
160 162 164 166 168 170 172 174
ANCIENT RELIGIONS WORLD RELIGIONS SACRED TEXTS CHRISTIANITY FESTIVALS MYTHS AND LEGENDS PREDICTIONS AND PROPHECIES THE UNEXPLAINED
162
The five pillars of Islam The following are the five most important aspects of the Muslim faith. 1 ash-Shahada – profession of faith in Allah and his prophet Muhammad 2 salat – prayer five times a day, facing Makkah 3 zakat – giving alms to the poor and needy 4 sawm – fasting between dawn and dusk during Ramadan 5 hajj – pilgrimage to Makkah, at least once in one’s lifetime Jihad, meaning holy war, is sometimes added as an extra pillar.
Major religions*
Christians 2,708,029,310 Muslims 1,962,880,545 Hindus 1,098,679,680 Buddhists 542,372,060 Chinese folk-religionists 504,695,170 Ethnoreligionists 267,440,170 New religionists 66,676,660 Sikhs 29,516,800 * followers worldwide
Religious buildings
• • • •
Abbey – a building occupied by monks or nuns and run by an abbot or abbess Basilica – a type of early Christian church Cathedral – the main church in an area and the seat of the bishop Chapel – a place of worship within a larger building, or a nonconformist Christian religious building Church – a building used for public worship by Christians Convent or nunnery – the home of a community of nuns
• •
– a Buddhist shrine • Dagoba Friary – home to friars, members •of a religious order Meeting house – a place where •certain religious groups, such as Quakers, gather Monastery – the home to a religious community of monks Mosque – a Muslim place of worship Pagoda – an Eastern temple Priory – a religious house run by a prior; it may be under the control of an abbey
• • • •
The Golden Temple, Amritsar, India
Holy places A holy place is somewhere that is especially revered by the followers of a religion. Examples include the birthplace of the founder of a religion, shrines and places of pilgrimage. There has been conflict in some of these holy places when members of other religions have claimed or attacked the sites.
Amritsar, India This city is the Sikh religion’s spiritual centre. The Golden Temple is the main shrine. Athos, Greece This is a holy mountain for the Greek Orthodox Church where there are many monasteries. Women are forbidden to go on to the mountain. Benares, India This Hindu holy city is dedicated to the god Shiva.
Bethlehem, Israel The birthplace of Jesus Canterbury, UK The city was once England’s most important pilgrimage centre. Ganges, India The Ganges river is sacred to Hindus, who bathe here and scatter the ashes of their dead in its waters.
Jerusalem, Israel A holy city for Christians, Muslims and Jews. Sites include the Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Karbala, Iraq This city is the centre of Shi’a Islam and contains the shrine of the prophet Muhammad’s grandson al-Husain.
163
• • •
Shrine – a place of worship connected with a sacred person or saint. It may contain sacred objects or relics Synagogue – a building for Jewish religious services Tabernacle – a house or tent used for worship, named after the tent used by the Israelites to cover the Ark of the Covenant Temple – a place of worship dedicated to a particular god or gods. Also sometimes used instead of synagogue
•
Gate of a Shinto shrine in Miyajima, Japan
Holy cows Visitors to India are often amazed by the number of cows wandering in the streets (one theory as to why they congregate in busy traffic is that the exhaust fumes kill the flies). Gau Mata, or Mother Cow, has long been an important part of the Indian economy, its milk providing nourishment and its dung used for fuel, but it is also the most revered animal in the Hindu religion and features in many myths and legends; the phrase ‘sacred cow’ is even used in non-Hindu cultures. Gaudan, the act of presenting cows to Brahmin priests, is highly regarded, while killing a cow is prohibited and beef is never eaten (McDonalds restaurants in India serve vegetarian burgers). Once a cow has ceased to produce milk, it is often released to roam freely in the certain knowledge that devout Hindus will not let it starve.
Gods of the Vedas (sacred books) Indra is the thunder god of battle. Varuna is the guardian of order. Agni is the god of fire. Surya is the sun deity. Other Hindu gods Brahma is the creator. Vishnu is the preserver, who has ten incarnations: Matsya, the fish Kurma, the tortoise Varah, the boar Nrisinha, half-man, half-lion Vamana, the dwarf Parasurama, Rama with the axe
Lhasa, Tibet (China) The centre of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery here was once the home of the Dalai Lama. Lourdes, France In 1858 Bernadette Soubirous (later St Bernadette) saw visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto at Lourdes. Since then Catholics have made pilgrimages there, seeking cures for their illnesses.
Ramachandra, Rama with bow and arrows Krishna, god of the Bhagavadgita Buddha, teacher Kalki, “the one to come”. Shiva is the god of destruction. Ganesh is the elephant-headed god. Hanuman is the monkey warrior god. Hindu goddesses Durga or Amba is the warrior god. Parvati is the wife of Shiva. Kali is the goddess of destruction. Lakshmi is the wife of Vishnu, goddess of beauty, wealth and fortune. Saraswati is the goddess of learning, arts and music.
Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia Every year, millions of Muslims go on pilgrimage to this city. They also turn to face Makkah when they pray. Medina, Saudi Arabia This is the site of the tomb of the prophet Muhammad. Olympus, Greece The ancient Greeks believed the mountain to be the home of Zeus and other gods.
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA The headquarters of the Church of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) Santiago de Compostela, Spain In the 9th century a tomb believed to belong to the apostle James the Greater was discovered here. Christians make pilgrimages to a shrine made on the site.
www.adherents.com
The cow is revered in India
Mount Shasta, California, USA A dormant volcano and a sacred site for Native Americans Vatican City The city-state in Rome, Italy, is the centre of the Roman Catholic faith.
search
&
Music
Performance
The saxophone 170 years ago Adolphe Sax, a Belgian musician, invented the saxophone. He wanted to create an instrument that would be the most powerful and vocal of the woodwinds and the most adaptive of the brass, to fill the vacant middle ground between the two sections. In 1841 he showed his new creation to Hector Berlioz. The composer was so impressed by the unique instrument that he gave it its debut in an 1844 concert. The saxophone gained greater popularity in the 1920s, when it began to be used in jazz bands, a role it is perhaps best known for today.
250 252 254 256 258 260
WORLD OF MUSIC CLASSICAL MUSIC POPULAR MUSIC THEATRE DANCE BALLET
252 Strings Violin
Viola
The viola is larger and deeper-voiced than the violin, and is played in the same way.
Opera terms
Harp Double bass
aria A song for a single voice comic opera Opera with a comic plot finale The ending, when the whole cast often sing together libretto The text of an opera, from the Italian for little book
Cello The violin has a hollow wooden body which resonates when the violinist pulls a bow over the four strings. There may be 30 or more violins in a modern orchestra.
The cello’s full name is the violoncello. It is the third-largest member of the violin family and is played sitting down.
The largest and deepest stringed instrument in an orchestra is the double bass. Double bass players usually stand to play, pulling a bow across the strings, or plucking them.
Instruments of the orchestra he range and number of instruments in a modern orchestra varies enormously. There may be as many as 100 or more, and less familiar instruments are brought in for special performances. The ones illustrated here are the most common instruments.
T
Singing parts Name
Female voices
Soprano Mezzo soprano
The highest female voice Between a soprano and a contralto The lowest female voice
Contralto
Male voices Alto
Tenor
Baritone
Bass
Falsetto
The highest male voice, traditionally sung by choirboys A high male voice. A countertenor voice is very high A voice higher than a bass, but lower than a tenor The lowest male voice. Basso profundo is the lowest possible voice An unnaturally high voice sung by tenors and basses
Brass
The orchestral harp has 48 strings of different lengths, attached to the top and side, and seven pedals at the base.
The trombone is also made from coiled metal and has a section called the slide, which players move in and out to create different notes. The trombone plays lower notes than the trumpet.
Trumpet
A trumpet is a tightly coiled metal tube with a cone called the bell at one end. Trumpets have three small buttons called valves which make different notes when pressed.
Trombone
Tuba Flugelhorn French horn players make different notes by changing the shape of their lips as they blow into the mouthpiece of this coiled metal tube.
French horn
operetta A light (rather than serious) opera, usually with an amusing story prima donna First lady (from the Italian) – the main female singer, or diva recitative A part in an opera that is spoken rather than sung
Woodwind
Euphonium
There is usually just one tuba in an orchestra. It plays the lowest notes of all the brass instruments.
Piccolo
Flute The concert flute is played through a blow hole at one end. Alto and bass flutes are larger versions which play lower notes. The piccolo is half the size of the concert flute and plays the highest notes in the orchestra.
Oboe Oboe players blow through a double reed made from two small slices of cane tied together and inserted into the mouthpiece of the instrument.
Clarinet The clarinet is also played through a reed. There are several different types of clarinet. B flat and A are played most often.
Bass clarinet
Bassoon The bassoon plays the lowest notes of the woodwind instruments. It is a doubled-up wooden tube with a curved metal crook at one end, which holds the reed.
Cor anglais
Aïda performed at Luxor, Egypt
Grandest grand opera The opera Aïda has often been performed on a grand scale, with a huge cast including elephants and other animals. It has been staged at the pyramids, Egypt, and in the year 2000 was performed in a football stadium in Shanghai, China, with a cast of 3,000 and an audience of 45,000.
Longest operas
Opera facts Most-performed operas Puccini’s La Bohème is the most-performed opera in London and New York. It has been staged 969 times since 1897 at London’s Royal Opera House, and 1,200 times at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Aïda and Carmen are the closest runners-up in both places.
Largest opera venues The two largest opera houses where operas are regularly performed are in Italy and America. They are the Arena di Verona in Verona, which holds 16,663 people, and the Municipal Opera Theatre in St Louis, USA, which holds 11,745. The Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy, which has 3,600 seats, is one of the world’s largest indoor opera theatres, although several US opera houses come close in size.
Richard Wagner’s Gotterdämmerung is the longest regularly performed opera. The opera can last up to six hours, including intervals.
Dame Nellie Melba The real name of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (1881–1931) was Helen Mitchell. She was a great food-lover and inspired the famous chef Escoffier to create several new dishes for her at the Savoy Hotel, London. These included Peach Melba (a raspberry and redcurrant sauce poured over peaches and ice cream), Melba Toast (crisp dried bread) and Melba Garniture (chicken, truffles and mushrooms stuffed into tomatoes).
Percussion Timpani/Kettledrums
Cymbals Orchestras usually have three or four timpani or kettledrums. They are made of copper with a plastic skin stretched over the top.
Triangle
Side drum
Bass drum
Various other instruments are sometimes played in orchestras, including keyboards (piano, organ, celesta, etc), bells, castanets, glockenspiels, gongs, marimbas, rattles, tambourines, wind machines, wood blocks, xylophones, guitars, mandolins and saxophones.
253