Because opera house design is such a constrained form, many opera houses struggle with the same problems. For the musicians for example, these are the communication among each other, the restricting space, sightlines to the conductor and most importantly, the sound level within the pit that can reach up to 115 dB (Meyer, 1972, p. 302).
Playing in the orchestra pit is different from playing on a podium, as for example in a concert hall. A podium affords a different kind of playing. According to the sound engineer Stefan Reich, playing in the pit requires a greater dependency on the conductor, mainly because there is not enough space for the musicians to hear how the sound of their instruments develops through the room (interview, 2015). According to the other sound engineers Gabbert and Birwe, it is also not uncommon for the musicians to feel separated from the stage and the audience in artistic terms: “I hear that often. […] The musicians do not have that contact to the audience, and of course they have this feeling of separation, like ‘I need to play, but I’m not even visible.’ And yes, I think that has a strong impact” (interview Birwe, 2015). Here, the materialization of the pit even touches upon the qualitative playing experience of the musicians, which might in turn affect their style of playing.
However, the affordances of the pit do not only pose difficulties to the musicians, but also the singers on stage. This is the reason why compromises need to be made regularly in many opera houses. For the singers, it is especially the balance between themselves and the orchestra that is of utmost importance; the singers need to overpower the orchestra and reach the audience over the pit (Meyer, 1972). Also, their communication with the conductor and the musicians is hindered by the orchestra pit, why it is the case that often, the conductor is displayed on small monitors across the hall and the stage for the singers to be able to follow his instructions (interview Reich & Gabbert, 2015).
Additionally, the orchestra pit creates a certain distance between the singers and the audience, a distance which can potentially leave the audience with a less enjoyable performance:
“The orchestra pit generates the impression that there is a distance to the singer. The wider it is, the more problematic it becomes. It’s like the singer lives on a different island. And if can you bring him closer to the audience, a totally different effect is created. They leave even more enthusiastically compared to when they only see it from far. […] As it is now, you just look at it, like a screen. Cinema. But when you can almost touch the singer, it’s different” (interview Gabbert, 2015).
To sum up, the orchestra pit is a part of the performance of opera, just as in instrument is. It affords various practices while constraining others, and thereby shapes the performance of opera to a huge extent. If the pit poses acoustically problematic circumstances to the musicians or singers, then the performance becomes problematic as well.
References
- Meyer, J. (1972). Akustik und musikalische Aufführungspraxis : Leitfaden für Akustiker, Tonmeister, Musiker, Instrumentenbauer und Architekten. Verlag Das Musikinstrument.
- Interview with Thomas Gabbert, April 27, 2015. Düsseldorf, Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
- Interview with Dagmar Birwe, April 29, 2015. Düsseldorf, Institut für Musik und Medien, office Dagmar Birwe.
- Interview with Stefan Reich, April 30, 2015. Cologne, Musical Dome, control room.
- Did acoustic design break away from musical practices? For some reflections click here.
- You could also continue reading about the acoustic design of orchestra pits.
- Or perhaps you would prefer to go into different actors within early music or read about reflections about affordances?