This post struck me as odd that someone would be "into" classical music without formal training nor having previously played in an (ameteur) orchestra or wind band. ?? I keep forgetting how few musicians are here among the audiophile ranks. Just an observation.
Instruments of the Orchestra
Fellow classical music buffs, can any of you recommend a CD (or couple of CDs) that provide a good introduction to the instruments of the orchestra? What I have in mind would be a well-recorded demonstration of each instrument, from its highest to its lowest pitch, and possibly a brief musical example. Doesn't need to be long or elaborate. Also, here's a related question: can any of you recommend a musical reference book that gives the full frequency range of the fundamental tones of each instrument of the orchestra? Thanks.