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This edition published 2010First published in 2005 by A&C Black Publishers Ltd36 Soho SquareLondon W1D 3QYwww.acblack.com

www.whitakersworld.com

Copyright © A&C Black Publishers LtdText © Russell Ash/Russell Ash Limited 2010

The right of Russell Ash to be identified asthe author of this book has been assertedby him in accordance with the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Produced for A&C Black byWhite-Thomson Publishing Ltd0843 208 7460www.wtpub.co.uk

Illustrators Alan Baker (Illustration), JulianBaker, KJA-artists

Religions consultant Martin Palmer,ICORECSports consultant Ian Morrison

All rights reserved. No part of thispublication 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. Thelogging and manufacturing processesconform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

The publishers make no representation,express or implied, with regard to theaccuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept legalresponsibility for any errors or omissions.

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Introduction 8

About this Book 9

TIME

The Story of Time 12

Time Periods 14

The Calendar 16

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

LIFE SCIENCES

Trees and Plants 50

Animal Kingdom 52

Mammals 54

Sea Life 56

Flying Animals 58

Insects and Spiders 60

Reptiles and Amphibians 62

Man and Beast 64

Pet Power 66

Endangered and Extinct 68

Environmental Concerns 70

Rubbish and Recycling 72

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Science 76

The Elements 78

Inventions 80

Mathematics 82

Weights and Measures 84

Computers and the Internet 86

Telecommunications 88

HUMAN BODY

Human Body 92

Body Facts and Records 94

Health and Medicine 96

Food and Drink 98

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Historical Ages 102

Historical Events 104

World Civilizations and Empires 106

Rulers and Leaders 108

World Politics 110

COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

World Map 114

Countries of the World 116

Cities of the World 118

North and Central America 120

Central and South America 122

Europe 124

Africa 130

Asia 136

Australasia 142

PEOPLE

Names 146

Families and Relationships 148

People Who Changed the World 150

Exploration and Endeavour 152

Celebrities 154

Kids World 156

BELIEFS AND IDEAS

Ancient Religions 160

World Religions 162

Sacred Texts 164

Christianity 166

Festivals 168

Myths and Legends 170

Predictions and Prophecies 172

The Unexplained 174

CONFLICT AND CRIME

Weapons and Forces 178

Wars and Battles 180

The Law 182

Crime 184

WORK AND HOME

Around the House 188

Toys and Games 190

Work and Wealth 192

Energy 194

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

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LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Language 224

Communication 226

Books 228

Authors 230

Children’s Books 232

Poets and Poetry 234

Newspapers and Magazines 236

EDUCATION AND THE ARTS

Education 240

Famous Artists 242

Museums and Monuments 244

Collecting 246

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

SPORTS

Sport Facts 278

Sporting Events 280

The Olympics 282

Athletics 284

Ball Games 286

Football 288

Racquet Sports 290

Combat, Strength and 292Target Sports

Water Sports 294

Wheel Sports 296

Winter Sports 298

Animal Sports 300

LAST LISTS

Dead Ends 304

Last of Everything 306

Index 308

Acknowledgements 316

7

Welcome to the sixth annual edition of Whitaker’s World of Facts. Ithas been updated with many new and astonishing facts and

hundreds of exciting pictures to help you to keep track of recent worldrecord-breakers, find out about the latest scientific discoveries andmedical marvels, new technology and gadgets and anniversaries comingin 2011.

Facts, figures and freaky stuffWhitaker’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 andcharts show global comparisons, while special features, factfiles and FactDisksprovide fast information on a huge range of subjects, with data from authoritativesources and specialists on every subject imaginable - the environment, the people andthe crucial events that shape our marvellous world. The countless new entries includeLondon’s most haunted theatre and the youngest person to sail round the world; factsabout animals with the biggest brains to giant squid and the life raft sunk by anelephant; the bestselling albums, the richest actors and the highest-earning films; themost expensive work of art ever sold, the most valuable comics, the largest drum, thesmallest gun, the biggest Ferris wheel and the fastest roller coaster; the world’s most-watched sporting leagues, the top Olympic medal-winners – and the heaviest

heavyweight boxer.

A section on countries gives up-to-date and crucialinformation, including population, capital city and currency

for every country in the world, as well asthe flag of each one. Timelines on

subjects such as communications,astronomy, wars and inventionsgive a see-at-a-glance overview andpinpoint important milestones up

to the present day.

Useful maps, tables and formulaeinclude conversions, mathematical symbols

and scales, from Beaufort (weather) to

Richter (earthquakes).

Other featuresWeb link boxes suggest useful websites to help you

explore subjects further. See also boxes guideyou to information on a particular subjectelsewhere in the book. There is an extensiveindex at the back of the book, as well as a listof sources.

Whitaker’s World WebsiteYou can write to me with comments, suggestionsand corrections at the publisher’s address on pagefour or via the Whitaker’s World of Facts websitewww.whitakersworld.com

Russell Ash

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Coloured barsidentify eachsection ofthe book

Lists give you the latest facts andfigures, dates and rankings for allkinds of subjects

FactDisksidentifyunique facts

FactDiskshighlightkey facts

About this book

Follow theseweb linksfor moreinformation

Find cross-referencesthroughoutthe book inthese boxes

Timelines give you all the keymilestones up tothe present day

9

50 TREES AND PLANTS

52 ANIMAL KINGDOM

54 MAMMALS

56 SEA LIFE

58 FLYING ANIMALS

60 INSECTS AND SPIDERS

62 REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

64 MAN AND BEAST

66 PET POWER

68 ENDANGERED AND EXTINCT

70 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

72 RUBBISH AND RECYCLING

Savingthe tiger

In 2010 the Indian Governmentannounced that it was intending to ban

tourists from visiting the country’s 37 tigerreserves. The total number of tigers in the wildin India is uncertain, ranging from 800–1,400

but it is known to be dwindling. Although theyattract many tourists, fear of extinction insome reserves caused by poaching and the

stress resulting from the presence oftourist vehicles and luxury resorts in

the tigers’ territory has madethis policy necessary.

LifeSciences

50 Top food plants

Every year the people of the world eat more

than 2.5 billion tonnes ofcereals, 916 million tonnes of vegetables and 572 milliontonnes of fruit.

The countries where these crops aregrown keep some for consumption bytheir own inhabitants and export aproportion to earn money. In recentyears, the idea of ‘Fair Trade’ hasbecome an important issue as attemptsare made to ensure that growers,especially in developing countries,receive a fair price for their products,are not exploited by richer countriesand farm their land sustainably.

Crop Tonnes per annumSugar cane 1,743,092,995Maize 822,712,527Rice 685,013,374Wheat 689,945,712Potatoes 314,140,107Sugar beet 227,585,414Cassava 232,950,180Soybeans 230,952,636Barley 157,644,721Sweet potatoes 110,128,298Tomatoes 129,649,883Watermelons 99,194,223Bananas 90,705,922Cabbages 69,664,185Grapes 67,708,587Sorghum 65,534,273Onions 66,829,917Apples 69,603,640Oranges 67,695,802Coconuts 61,094,243

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• 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 about75–150 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).

Important cropsThese are the most important cropsgrown 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.

Bananas grow well in tropical climates.

World forests

Forests cover 29.6 per cent of Earth’s land and almost a quarter ofthese are in Russia. There are three main types of forest which

grow in particular climates in different parts of the world.

Banana facts• Although bananas grow ontrees, botanically the banana is a herb.

• Bananas grow upwards, not down.

• A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20bananas, which are known asfingers – the word banan is Arabic for finger.

• The first bananas grown in the Americas were planted in1516 on the island of Hispañiolaby Spanish missionary Tomás de Berlanga.

• India grows more bananasthan any other country in theworld, nearly 22 million tonnes a year, more than a quarter of the total world crop.

•Worldwide, more than 80million tonnes of bananas areeaten every year.

GoingBananas

• The phrase ‘going bananas’ was firstrecorded in the 1930s, perhaps because

of their connection with the wild behaviourof 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 300banana-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.The dense undergrowthof a tropical rainforest

• Curare is extracted from the bark of certain trees and isused by South American Indian tribes to tip their poisonarrows when they go hunting.

• Deadly nightshade is also known as belladonna. Itcontains a poison called atropine. Less than 10 milligrams(0.0004 oz) could kill a child.

• Nicotine is a yellow oily liquid found in tobacco. About50 milligrams (0.002 oz) of nicotine would kill an adultwithin minutes.

• The leaves of the purple foxglove contain digitalis andeating just a few can be fatal. Digitalis is used in tiny dosesto treat people suffering from heart disease.

Dangerous plants• Potatoes are safe to eat when cooked, but the stems and leavesof the plants contain a poison called solanine. If potatoes turngreen, they may also contain solanine.

• Ricin is extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant and ismore poisonous than cyanide or snake venom. Even minute dosesof ricin can be fatal.

• Opium is extracted from the juice of a poppy and containsmorphine. Small quantities of both are used legally as painkillersand illegally as drugs. Both can easily cause death.

• The death cap is a highly poisonous mushroom. It is responsiblefor almost 90 per cent of deaths from eating fungi. The poisoncauses severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

• Tallest treeThe world’s tallest tree is called theStratosphere Giant. It grows in theRockefeller Forest, Humboldt RedwoodsState Park, California. At 112.32 m (369 ft),this redwood is almost three times theheight of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

• Biggest living thingThe General Sherman giant sequoia inSequoia 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 plantWolffia, 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.

Purple foxglove

Bristleconepine tree

Record-breaking plants

Oldesttrees

The bristlecone pines in Californiaand Nevada, USA, are almost 5,000years old and were long believed tobe the oldest trees. Latest research

suggests that creosote bushes in theUSA’s Mojave Desert may be even

older – some of these plantsbegan life nearly 12,000

years ago.

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92 HUMAN BODY

94 BODY FACTS AND RECORDS

96 HEALTH AND MEDICINE

98 FOOD AND DRINK

HumanBody

Humangenome 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 whichare unique to a human and which are shared with

other animals – in this diagram, those of a mouse. In2011, the cost of reading a person's whole genomewill start to become cheap enough for mainstreamuse in hospitals. Doctors will soon be able to use

genetic sequencing machines to identify apatient’s gene variants, which could helpthem select more effective methods of

providing treatment andcombating diseases.

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What we eat

Afamily food survey is carried out in the UK everyyear. The latest figures for what we eat in the home

(not including takeaways and eating out) show that theaverage person will consume more than 50 tonnes offood and drink in an 80-year lifespan. These are someof the main items in the survey, and the amounts eachof us can expect to eat in our lives:

Eating a zooDuring the Franco-Prussian War of1870, the inhabitants of Paris were

under siege and starving, so after eatingall the horses, dogs, cats and rats theycould 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.

Cheese and milksupply fat and protein

Fruit and vegetablessupply minerals and vitamins

Bread and pastacontain starch

Fish is richin protein

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 products2,230 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)

Roadkill recipes

Eating roadkill (animals that havebeen killed on the road) has

occurred ever since there have beencars. In the USA, where deer andother large animals are commonvictims, a number of recipe booksand websites have been devoted to the subject.

Britain’s first “flattened fauna” (squashed animals)cookbook was announced in 2006 by Arthur Boytof Davidstow, Cornwall, who has included badger,fox, weasel and bat among his meals over the past50 years. His roadkill recipes include one forspaghetti with hedgehog.

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Extreme diningA company called Dinner in theSky offers diners in a numberof countries the experience ofeating a meal while suspended50 metres (164 ft) above theground. A table and chairs islifted up by a crane and up to22 guests – strapped in withseatbelts – are served by a chef and catering staff in themiddle of the table. Musicians,including a grand piano, canalso be winched up to provideentertainment.

The drinks we drinkSoda waterCarbonated water – water with carbon dioxideforced into it to make it sparkling – was invented byDr William Brownrigg of Whitehaven, UK, in 1741.One of the most famous manufacturers wasGerman-born scientist Jean Jacob Schweppe whomoved to London in 1792. By the 1870s thecompany he founded was also making ginger ale andIndian Tonic Water, by adding quinine to sweetenedsoda water, after the style of the British in India whodrank it as an antidote to malaria.

Bottled waterDrinking mineral water from natural springs has been done sinceRoman times and became fashionable in the 18th century whenpeople went to spa towns to bathe and undergo medical treatments. It isclaimed that water from Malvern, UK, was bottled as early as 1622, while Frenchmineral 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 Britishowner William Albert St John Harmsworth.

Carbonated drinksThe first Coca-Cola was served in Jacob’s Pharmacy, inAtlanta, Georgia, on 8 May 1886. It was the creationof pharmacist Dr John Stith Pemberton. It was firstserved in bottles in 1894 (although its distinctivebottle design was not introduced until 1915) and incans in 1955. Its rival Pepsi dates from 1898, when it was named ‘Brad’s Drink’ after its inventor CalebBradham. It was trademarked as Pepsi-Cola in 1903.

Tea time Tea is made from the dried leaves of

a plant. It has been drunk in China sinceancient times, but was not known in Europe

until the early 17th century. It is mainly grownin tropical countries such as India and Turkey,but some varieties can be cultivated in cooler

climates. Paper tea bags became popular in theUSA in the 1920s, but were not sold in the

UK until 1952. Tea time, a light mealtaken in the later afternoon, became

a cultural activity in Britain, wheretearooms became common in the

18th and 19th centuries.

Tea picker in India

160 ANCIENT RELIGIONS

162 WORLD RELIGIONS

164 SACRED TEXTS

166 CHRISTIANITY

168 FESTIVALS

170 MYTHS AND LEGENDS

172 PREDICTIONS AND PROPHECIES

174 THE UNEXPLAINED

&BeliefsIdeasSagradaFamilia

One of the longest-ever major buildingprojects reached a milestone in 2010 when

part of the Sagrada Familia cathedral inBarcelona, Spain, was scheduled to open for

worship in September, and then be consecrated bythe Pope in November. The striking design is bySpanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).

Construction started in 1882 and is unlikely to becompleted before 2026. It has undergone many

changes in its 128-year construction withnew elements being incorporated and the

latest building methods applied. Morethan 2 million tourists a year

visit the cathedral.

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Holy places

Amritsar, India This city is the Sikh religion’sspiritual centre. The GoldenTemple is the main shrine.Athos, Greece This is a holy mountain for theGreek Orthodox Church wherethere are many monasteries.Women are forbidden to go onto the mountain. Benares, India This Hindu holy city isdedicated to the god Shiva.

Bethlehem, Israel The birthplace of JesusCanterbury, UK The city was once England’smost important pilgrimagecentre.Ganges, India The Ganges river is sacred toHindus, who bathe here and scatter the ashes of their deadin its waters.

Jerusalem, IsraelA holy city for Christians,Muslims and Jews. Sitesinclude the Western Wall,Dome of the Rock and Churchof the Holy Sepulchre.Karbala, Iraq This city is the centre of Shi’aIslam and contains the shrineof the prophet Muhammad’sgrandson al-Husain.

The Golden Temple,Amritsar, India

Religious buildings• Abbey – a building occupied by monksor nuns and run by an abbot or abbess

• Basilica – a type of early Christianchurch

• Cathedral – the main church in anarea and the seat of the bishop

• Chapel – a place of worship within a larger building, or a nonconformistChristian religious building

• Church – a building used for publicworship by Christians

• Convent or nunnery – the home of a community of nuns

• Dagoba – a Buddhist shrine

• Friary – home to friars, members of a religious order

• Meeting house – a place wherecertain religious groups, such asQuakers, gather

• Monastery – the home to a religiouscommunity of monks

• Mosque – a Muslim place of worship

• Pagoda – an Eastern temple

• Priory – a religious house run by aprior; it may be under the control of an abbey

A holy place is somewhere that is especially revered by thefollowers of a religion. Examplesinclude the birthplace of thefounder of a religion, shrines and places of pilgrimage. Therehas been conflict in some ofthese holy places when membersof other religions have claimedor attacked the sites.

The five pillars of IslamThe following are the five most important aspectsof the Muslim faith.

1 ash-Shahada – profession of faith in Allah and hisprophet Muhammad

2 salat – prayer five times a day, facing Makkah3 zakat – giving alms to the poor and needy4 sawm – fasting between dawn and dusk during

Ramadan5 hajj – pilgrimage to Makkah, at least once

in one’s lifetimeJihad, meaning holy war,is sometimes addedas 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

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Lhasa, Tibet (China) The centre of Tibetan Buddhism.The monastery here was oncethe home of the Dalai Lama.Lourdes, FranceIn 1858 Bernadette Soubirous(later St Bernadette) saw visionsof the Virgin Mary in a grotto atLourdes. Since then Catholicshave made pilgrimages there,seeking cures for their illnesses.

Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia Every year, millions of Muslimsgo on pilgrimage to this city.They also turn to face Makkahwhen they pray.Medina, Saudi ArabiaThis is the site of the tomb ofthe prophet Muhammad.Olympus, Greece The ancient Greeks believed themountain to be the home ofZeus and other gods.

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA The headquarters of the Churchof Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)Santiago de Compostela, Spain In the 9th century a tombbelieved to belong to the apostle James the Greater wasdiscovered here. Christians make pilgrimages to a shrinemade on the site.

Mount Shasta, California, USA A dormant volcano and a sacredsite for Native AmericansVatican City The city-state in Rome, Italy, is the centre of the Roman Catholic faith.

Gate of a Shinto shrine in Miyajima, Japan

The cow isrevered in India

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• 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

Holy cowsVisitors 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 vegetarianburgers). 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.

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 godsBrahma is the creator.Vishnu is the preserver, who

has ten incarnations: Matsya, the fishKurma, the tortoise Varah, the boar Nrisinha, half-man, half-lionVamana, the dwarfParasurama, Rama with the axe

Gods of the Vedas (sacred books)Ramachandra, Rama with bow and arrowsKrishna, god of the BhagavadgitaBuddha, teacherKalki, “the one to come”.

Shiva is the god of destruction.Ganesh is the elephant-headed god.Hanuman is the monkey warrior god.Hindu goddessesDurga 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.

250 WORLD OF MUSIC

252 CLASSICAL MUSIC

254 POPULAR MUSIC

256 THEATRE

258 DANCE

260 BALLET

&MusicPerformance

Thesaxophone

170 years ago Adolphe Sax, a Belgianmusician, invented the saxophone. He

wanted to create an instrument that would bethe most powerful and vocal of the woodwindsand the most adaptive of the brass, to fill the

vacant middle ground between the two sections.In 1841 he showed his new creation to HectorBerlioz. The composer was so impressed by theunique instrument that he gave it its debut in

an 1844 concert. The saxophone gainedgreater popularity in the 1920s, when it

began to be used in jazz bands, arole it is perhaps best known

for today.

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The violin has ahollow woodenbody whichresonates whenthe violinist pullsa bow over thefour strings. There may be 30or more violins in a modernorchestra.

The viola is largerand deeper-voicedthan the violin,and is played inthe same way.

The cello’s full name is thevioloncello. It is the third-largestmember of theviolin family and is playedsitting down.

The largest and deepest stringedinstrument in an orchestra isthe double bass. Double bassplayers usually stand to play,pulling a bow across the strings,or plucking them.

The orchestral harphas 48 strings ofdifferent lengths,attached to the topand side, and sevenpedals at the base.

Singing parts Name Female voicesSoprano The highest female voice Mezzo soprano Between a soprano and

a contralto Contralto The lowest female voice

Male voicesAlto The highest male voice,

traditionally sung by choirboys

Tenor A high male voice. A countertenor voiceis very high

Baritone A voice higher thana bass, but lower thana tenor

Bass The lowest male voice. Basso profundo is the lowest possible voice

Falsetto An unnaturally high voice sung by tenors and basses

ariaA song for a single voicecomic operaOpera with a comic plotfinaleThe ending, when the whole cast oftensing togetherlibrettoThe text of an opera,from the Italian forlittle book

operettaA light (rather thanserious) opera, usuallywith an amusing storyprima donnaFirst lady (from theItalian) – the mainfemale singer, or divarecitativeA part in an opera that is spoken ratherthan sung

Instruments of the orchestra

The range and number of instruments in a

modern orchestra variesenormously. There may be as many as 100 or more, and less familiar instrumentsare brought in for specialperformances. The onesillustrated here are the mostcommon instruments.

The concert flute is played through ablow hole at one end. Alto and bassflutes are larger versions which playlower notes. The piccolo is half thesize of the concert flute andplays the highest notes inthe orchestra.

Oboe playersblow through a doublereed made from twosmall slices of canetied together andinserted into themouthpiece of theinstrument.

The clarinet is also played through a reed.There are several differenttypes of clarinet. B flat and Aare played most often.

The bassoon plays the lowest notesof the woodwind instruments. It is a doubled-up wooden tube with acurved metal crook at one end,which holds the reed.

French hornplayers makedifferent notesby changing

the shape of theirlips as they blow into

the mouthpiece of thiscoiled metal tube.

A trumpet is a tightlycoiled metal tube with acone called the bell at oneend. Trumpets have threesmall buttons called valveswhich make differentnotes when pressed.

The trombone is alsomade from coiled metaland has a section called theslide, which players move inand out to create differentnotes. The trombone plays lowernotes than the trumpet.

There is usually just onetuba in an orchestra. Itplays the lowest notes ofall the brass instruments.

Opera termsStrings

Woodwind

Brass

Violin Viola

Cello

Trumpet

Flugelhorn

Frenchhorn

Euphonium

Trombone

Tuba

Cor anglais

Bassoon

Bassclarinet

Clarinet

Oboe

Flute

Piccolo

Doublebass

Harp

253

Opera facts Most-performed operasPuccini’s La Bohème is the most-performed operain London and New York. It has been staged 969times since 1897 at London’s Royal Opera House,and 1,200 times at the Metropolitan Opera Housein New York. Aïda and Carmen are the closestrunners-up in both places.

Largest opera venuesThe two largest opera houses where operas areregularly performed are in Italy and America. Theyare the Arena di Verona in Verona, which holds16,663 people, and the Municipal Opera Theatre inSt Louis, USA, which holds 11,745. The Teatro allaScala, Milan, Italy, which has 3,600 seats, is one ofthe world’s largest indoor opera theatres, althoughseveral US opera houses come close in size.

Longest operasRichard Wagner’s Gotterdämmerung is the longest regularly performed opera. The opera can last up to six hours, including intervals.

Grandestgrand opera

The opera Aïda has often beenperformed on a grand scale, with ahuge cast including elephants and

other animals. It has been staged atthe pyramids, Egypt, and in the year

2000 was performed in a footballstadium in Shanghai, China,with a cast of 3,000 and an

audience of 45,000.

Various other instruments are sometimes played inorchestras, including keyboards(piano, organ, celesta, etc),bells, castanets, glockenspiels,gongs, marimbas, rattles,tambourines, wind machines,wood blocks, xylophones,guitars, mandolins andsaxophones.

Orchestras usually have three or four timpanior kettledrums. They are made of copper witha plastic skin stretched over the top.

PercussionTimpani/Kettledrums

Cymbals Side drum

Triangle

Bassdrum

Aïda performedat Luxor, Egypt

Dame Nellie MelbaThe real name of Australian opera singer DameNellie Melba (1881–1931) was Helen Mitchell.She was a great food-lover and inspired thefamous chef Escoffier to create several new dishesfor her at the Savoy Hotel, London. These includedPeach Melba (a raspberry and redcurrant saucepoured over peaches and ice cream), Melba Toast(crisp dried bread) and Melba Garniture (chicken,truffles and mushrooms stuffed into tomatoes).