 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2015-08-24 20:57
Do you think there would be any advantage for an orchestra, or chamber group to wear headphones to hear what they sound like in the hall during a live performance. No amplification here just a few mics in the hall.
Freelance woodwind performer
Post Edited (2015-08-25 01:53)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-08-24 21:16
I can't see any real benefit here as one would be listening to the composite sound of the group of which one is only a small part.
It could lead to an unintended form of negative feedback if individual players started to change their output based on what they heard on the phones instead of how they sounded amonst the group itself.
This is quite different from say studio recording when individual instruments are miked separately often in a very dead acoustic and then mixed by the engineers. In that case the feed back is usually of the processed sound of the individual.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-25 06:59
Absolutely not! The conductor is the arbiter of the balance within each section and each section against the others. What matters for the individual musician is to know what he needs to do within his frame of reference to give the conductor what she/he wants.
James Galway derisively told a story on the Johnny Carson show of his days with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He referenced the movie Ben Hur saying that Karajan was like the guy beating the drum to keep the slaves on the ship rowing in unison. After years of thinking about that. I couldn't agree more, and I see it as a POSITIVE metaphor for the entire process. Anything less would be anarchy.
..................Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2015-08-25 08:20)
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-08-25 09:54
I think for a chamber group it might be an interesting rehearsal technique, but I don't know if it would be worth all the trouble. Far better to have a trusted colleague out in the hall during the dress rehearsal to address balance issues.
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Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2015-08-25 10:54
I am not sure this would work (no matter whether its' desired or not).
I once tried to do a similar thing when practicing by myself.
I have been recording myself and thought that it sounded differently than it did close for myself, so I wanted to try to adjust in real time instead of having to record myself and tweak something, then record again etc.
This is what I tried:
* I was in a big room
* I set up my recording device quite far back with a long cord for headphones
* I tried different headphones and earplugs
I never managed to remove the sound/feeling of the "close sound" no matter how high volume I used in the headphones, and it never felt like only listening from a far.
I'm feeling inspired to play around with it some more now though
Regards
Peter
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2015-08-25 16:27
I've only done this twice. Once for a musical theatre production, where the director was playing and would cue us in by talking softly through a microphone. I could also turn up certain people in my headphones to better hear them. It was interesting, but not bad for that performance.
The first time I ever did it was for a film score. I ended up having to play both oboe parts. It was interesting to try and blend into the texture without physically being with the rest of the orchestra. But after this experience, I don't think it would be as necessary as one would think. After playing a while (whether in large or small ensembles), you learn how loud or soft you need to play to blend into or come out of the texture.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2015-08-25 21:19
Some alternatives:
Practice in that venue (or one similar) to know the effect of the room acoustics.
Train friends of yours to listen critically and give you visual feedback.
If the performance has a break, listen to a recording then.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2015-08-28 23:52
Could you elaborate on your statement Silversorcerer? It seems to me that the problem of the performer knowing what the audience is hearing is a very old problem.
Freelance woodwind performer
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