Orchestra pit
An orchestra pit is an area in a
Construction
In the pit, the walls are specially designed to provide the best possible acoustics, ensuring that the sound of the orchestra flows through the entire venue without overwhelming the performance on stage.[1] Many orchestra pits are also designed to have reasonably low decibel levels, allowing musicians to work without fears of damaging their hearing. Typically, a small platform in the pit accommodates the conductor, so that he or she can be seen by all of the musicians, who may sit in chairs or on bleachers, depending on the design of the pit. All sorts of musicians sit here, from the conductor to the bass player. The lift can usually be lowered all the way to a storage space under the stage, or halfway to floor level, or all the way up level with the stage. When lowered all the way, the lift can be filled with equipment or
An orchestra pit does not have to be located directly in front of the stage, either, although many patrons expect to see the orchestra performing in front of the stage; when an orchestra pit is elsewhere in the theaters, the conductor's movements may be broadcast on monitors visible from the stage, so that the actors can follow cues.[1]
History
Earlier in theatre history from 1500–1650 the orchestra pit was also called the yard and it was a lower level that lower-class members of the audience would stand to watch the show. It was generally very crowded and hard to see the full stage. The amount of space in the yard varied with different stages. Everyone else would sit in the normal seating where the whole stage was visible. Since then the orchestra pit has been changed and enhanced to work better with modern theatre. Now orchestra pits are designed much better and have a lot of different uses.[citation needed]
Uses
Sometimes when an opera or
See also
References
- ^ a b McMahon, Mary (15 December 2023). "What is an Orchestra Pit? (with picture)". Musical Expert.
- ^ Deans, Jonathan (1 August 2000). "Time for a Change in the Orchestra Pit". Mix Online. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010.
- ^ "What do conductors actually do?". BBC Teach. 27 August 2019.