Sorry I missed the single flute example, Carlos - my bad! On to some issues/problems to be tackled:
- Mixed ensemble is one problem, as you mentioned. As I see it there are the following kinds of "ensembles" (which are to be viewed as somehow less than an full (or chamber) orchestra, (concert) band. I'm not sure just how "complete" this list is (perhaps overly complete, perhaps less than complete, depending upon ones viewpoint, but it reflects most of what I had in mind when I began trying to flesh out the accompaniments):
- String ensemble: consists only of string instruments, which could be, eg., a string quartet or string orchestra, possibly with a keyboard instrument (such as a harpsichord, especially in the case of baroque accompaniment).
- Brass ensemble: consists only of brass instruments, eg. a brass quartet or a brass band.
- Woodwind ensemble: consists only of woodwind instruments (and possibly a horn, in the case of a woodwind quintet).
- Wind ensemble: consists of woodwinds and brass, without percussion, and hence less than a (concert) band.
- Mixed ensemble: consists of strings and winds, possibly with percussion and/or keyboard, but less than an orchestra (eg. typically at most two players on each string part, one player on each wind part). How much would this overlap the concept of a "chamber orchestra", which might have more than just two players per sring part (at least in violins, violas, and probaly cellos)?
- Jazz band (or ensemble): clearly an eclectic assignment, but valid. I myself have composed a Kyrie for cantor (celebrant), SATB choir, and jazz ensemble (scored for 3 flutes, 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano/keyboards, and string bass, percussion, with optional harp) - the first part of a w.i.p. Missa polychromia.
- Consort of viols: pretty clear what this consists of, since it derives from an established early music idiom, but it might also include lute/theorbo/harpsichord/clavichord and/or a violone (but with these additions, does that make it a "string ensemble"? - I tend to feel not, at least in the usual sense of string ensemble).
- Solo instruments is another problem. There are works composed for voice(s) and one or two (or perhaps even three) solo instruments as accompaniment (sometimes there is also a piano/organ/keyboard part). How to handle these seems somewhat problematic. We already have cases at ChoralWiki with flute and piano. In addtion, sometimes the solo instrument is simply specified as "optional C instrument", which might mean flute, oboe, (sooprano) sax, violin - or any other (typically soprano) range instrument, but the part is only written out in C (appropriate transposition left up to the performer).
- Harpsichord accompaniment: this seems to have been left out of the template, at least I'm thinking that the "(harps?)" line only picks up harp accompaniments.
- How do we fit in rarer instruments such as guitar (electric versus acoustic or 12-string), lute, krummhorn(s), cornetto (Zink), harmonica, banjo, saxophone (whether soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, or bass), etc.?
I know the tempation is "to cross that bridge (or those bridges) when we get there" - but I really think that some planning ahead is necessary. Probably not all of these possiblities need to be written into the template yet, but I think we need to know where we are going and just what categorizations should be made. For example, entering something like "string ensemble: violins I & II, viola, cello, basso continuo" should not make a link to string ensemble on the words "violins", "viola", "cello", and I wonder if the "basso continuo" (here and elsewhere) should include a harpsichord accompaniment link (since this is the usual case?).
Anyway, this is all just some food for thought.
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