Ensemble is a term in music that has several meanings. The word ensemble can refer to the quality of “togetherness” that a group of musicians has when it performs. For example, a choir is said to have good ensemble when its individual members start together, move from note to note together in their respective voice parts, and end each section together. Good ensemble promotes clear words in a chorus and lends professionalism and excitement to a performance by any group of musicians.
Another meaning of ensemble is a small group of three or more musicians performing together but playing individual parts. Many musical ensembles perform recitals in concert halls and recital rooms all over the world. Ensembles include piano trios (piano, violin, and cello); baroque trios (violin or recorder or flute, harpsichord, and cello); string trios (violin, viola, and cello); string quartets, quintets, sextets, and octets; wind groups of up to a dozen players; and various small mixed groups. In opera, the term ensemble refers to a small group of singers, usually up to five in number. The music that the group sings is also called an ensemble. There are fine ensemble scenes in many famous operas, including The Marriage of Figaro, (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786), Falstaff (Giuseppe Verdi, 1893), Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss, 1911), and Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten, 1945).
See also Chamber music .
