Life in the Pit

Playing in a pit orchestra is very different.

Perfoming in a "pit orchestra" is vastly different than performing on the stage. A pit orchestra is a specialized ensemble that both accompanies the singers and adds to the drama on stage.

Occasionally it takes "center stage" with overtures and in orchestral interludes, preludes and postludes.

The Arizona Opera Orchestra performs in a lowered area in front and underneath the stages in Tucson and Phoenix. In theater terminology, this area is known as the "pit."

A major difference between stage and pit orchestras is that the pit musicians are mostly heard, but not seen. In the Arizona Opera Orchestra, we even wear "pit black" (all black clothes - as opposed to uniform tuxedos) to make ourselves even less noticed by the audience.

There are exceptions to this rule, most notably the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City. Their musicians perform in tuxedos in a completely open pit that does not fall underneath the stage. They are prominently featured in plain sight in their "open air" pit.

Occasionally the Arizona Opera Orchestra performs on stage and is both seen and heard, as with the upcoming Gems Concert in 2008.

Performing in a pit is not without its hazards. Because of the confined space, the volume level can be quite loud at times, exceeding healthy levels. Many musicians use ear plugs, specialized ear protection and sound shields to prevent hearing loss. Navigating through the darkness, the maze of electrical cords, multi-leveled platforms, low-hanging pipes and ceilings, and other people can be as tricky as an obstacle course.

• Austrailian musicians' hazards
• Health Problems of Performing Artists Health Problems of Performing Artists

Objects from the stage can fall into the open pit and onto unsuspecting musicians - fortunately this rarely happens.

During a Verdi opera performance several years ago, a large globe prop rolled off of its stand and fell into the pit. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. At another performance of a Mozart opera, the electrical power went out and the entire hall went black. Musicians improvised by using cell phones to light their music and to keep playing.

In both cases, the old addage of "the show must go on" held true. The show went on.

The pits used for the opera in Phoenix and Tucson are multi-leveled. The conductor stands on a high platform, the strings and woodwinds are on the floor level, and the brass and percussion are on a sub-floor level.

Click on the diagram below for a larger view of a side-view cut away.

To better understand just how different playing in a pit is, and why, Polyphonic.org assembled a knowledgeable and experienced group of six musicians who've spent most of their careers out of the view of the audience.

Their reflections are recorded at Virtual Discussion Panel: Life in the Pit.

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