A highly debated factor in orchestra pit design today is the construction of the instruments that are being played in the pit. According to James (1997), “It should be remembered that many of the instruments of the time were very much quieter than their modern counterparts” (p. 7). Thus, when the orchestra pit was introduced, instruments were comparatively quieter than today. This leads to the assumption that the first orchestra pit designs might have been constructed with regard to the sound level produced by the instruments; the orchestra pits therefore were shaped by the affordances of the instruments.
As James (1997) suggests, the development of instruments has been matched by increasing the sizes of auditoria, yet, the orchestra pit did not drastically change when modern instruments entered the scene. Many of them have been extended in size, yet this extension is always restrained by other factors as well. In general, this discrepant development has resulted in an increased level of loudness in the pit, which, as we will later see, poses several problems to the musicians. My interviewee Dagmar Birwe, sound engineer and Professor at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf, comments:
“Well, the instruments have become louder, and most probably not at the same time when the orchestra pits were introduced, but a bit later. And yes, I do think that this results in a higher strain in the pit” (interview, 2015).
Here, affordances seem to have been drifted away from each other, until the point of contradiction – it is an example of how they interfere, or more specifically, how the affordances of the materiality of the pit become contradictory to the affordances of the material instruments.
Yet, there is a debate about to what extent the instruments really have become louder. Stefan Reich, sound engineer of the opera Cologne (interview, 2015), does not think that modern instruments are so drastically interfering with the size of the pit. According to him, instrument construction has resulted primarily in a clearer brilliance in tone of the instruments, which creates the subjective impression of the instruments being louder. This thesis is supported by Meyer (1972). However, it is questionable if instruments have not, despite this argument, become stronger in sound.
As Lawson & Stowell (1999) claim, due to the increasing sizes of opera houses in the nineteenth century, improvements of instruments usually sought to achieve greater power. The introduction of new materials like metal flutes supports this claim (interview Birwe, 2015). This is also the case for Barron (1994), who states that “For the orchestra, as well as changes in numbers of players, the lowered orchestra pit since the 19th century has reduced sound levels, while development of instruments has made them louder” (p. 335).
Also for Gade et. al. (2001), it is likely that changes in performance style and developments in instrument technology over the last half century are the main reasons for some of the problems encountered in the pits. Although the difference might concern only a few decibels, these few decibels still might make a big difference when it comes to big orchestras.
References:
- Barron, M. (1994). Auditorium acoustics and architectural design. Spon Press.
- Gade A.C., Kapenekas J., Andersson B.T., Gustafsson J.I. (2001). Acoustical problems in orchestra pits: causes and possible solutions, [in:] Proceedings of 17th International Congress on Acoustics, Rome, Italy, 2–7 September, 2001.
- James, A. (1997). Extremes, Flexibility and Authenticity in Orchestra Pit Acoustics. Retrieved May 15, 2015 from: http://www.adrianjamesacoustics.co.uk/technicalstuff/paper2.pdf
- Lawson, C. & Stowell, R. (2004). The Historical Performance of Music. An Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
- Interview with Dagmar Birwe, April 29, 2015. Düsseldorf, Institut für Musik und Medien, office Dagmar Birwe.
