Life in the Pit

With the unique working conditions in the orchestra pit, there are health issues that need to be considered.

For 17 years my two orchestras lived in a pit that was halfway under the stage. The winds, percussion, and timpani were under a 7-foot ceiling, while the strings were on the hydraulic part in the open. So, the back of the pit was the lowest part, and then it tiered up as you got closer to the conductor. The sound stayed under the ceiling; so, the volume was deafening. And to top it off, the strings who sat directly in front of the brass and percussion had Plexiglas shields which trapped the sound even more. Many of us tried playing with ear plugs, but we all agreed that we lost sensitivity.

Today our new pit has no ceiling. But the pit is very wide; so, it’s impossible to hear anyone on the other side of the orchestra. It is sometimes very frustrating in our pit because the brass, percussion and timpani are sitting on top of one another while there is endless room on the other side. Brass players are sitting less than a foot from the percussion and timpani. The back stand violas and 2nd violins are sitting directly in front of trumpets and trombones with no shields. There is frustration from both groups – the string players need shields, but the brass players state that their sound is affected because of the shields.

One problem with ballet companies is the double show days. Ballet companies have 4 or 5 different casts that dance the same production. So, many times we have a show on Friday night, two on Saturday, and then another on Sunday afternoon. This is very difficult for string players. The product can suffer when musicians are tired, and injuries occur. Next season Houston Grand Opera has five performances scheduled over four days – two La Boheme shows on one day surrounded by Billy Budd shows. This will be a very strenuous time for the orchestra. So, we tighten our belts and get the job done because we love what we do.