Life in the Pit

I believe the possibility of replacement by electronic means is the most serious threat we face as pit musicians. Opera seems to have the right idea about the importance of live musicians, but ballet and musical theater are on the cusp of replacing us altogether. Recordings, virtual orchestra machines, and simply reducing musicians are commonplace now.

Why do arts presenters think that having the tunes present is enough — why is the quality of a live, fully represented orchestra so easily discarded? Nothing can replace the sound that a full orchestra in a ballet pit produces. Why is there a trend on Broadway to have actors onstage play instruments instead of trained specialists in the pit? Sweeny Todd and Company have taken up the gimmick of actors playing instruments; when I think of great Broadway orchestrations, Sweeny Todd comes to mind, as a musical in which the orchestration is as much a part of the tension and drama as anything taking place onstage. Why cut out the heart of this art form? Like “Cliff Notes” for live theater, if all you need is a synopsis and a few tunes, the impact of the cultural experience is completely lost without the full language present.

All I can think of to do to combat this is education, in the schools and at the theater. Make sure that student audiences always have a live orchestra. Don’t let them learn to expect recorded music — they are already so used to constant recorded music in their lives, we have to let them know that live music is an irreplaceable experience.

Musicians know the importance of our art. We have to be sure that the audience is FULLY AWARE of performances in which the orchestra has been reduced or replaced. We have to keep them aware of how much they miss by our absence.