Media and Performance in the Musical by Knapp Raymond;Morris Mitchell;Wolf Stacy;

Author:Knapp, Raymond;Morris, Mitchell;Wolf, Stacy;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Published: 2018-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

“Virtual Orchestra Machines”

More recently still, technology has developed the virtual orchestra, an artificial replacement for live musicians. “Played” from a computer, the machines replicate not just the notes and sound of the instrument(s), but also follow the phrasing, dynamic, and tempo indications of the live conductor. While the Musicians’ Union has claimed that this will threaten jobs, manufacturers and producers insist on the reverse: “The show probably wouldn’t have toured at all had it been required to maintain the full complement.” Indeed, they point out that the software itself is operated “by a live musician.”28

Perhaps the most compelling argument for the use of such technology is in amateur and school productions of the classic large-ensemble shows, many of which have neither the skill-base nor budget to provide full orchestration. As a supplement to existing musicians, “virtual orchestra machines” at least introduce regional audiences to the true orchestral sound of the Broadway shows. Musicians must trust that the wave of new technology will, in the hands of artists, enhance artistry. There can, and must be, a compromise—one that preserves the large live Broadway ensemble when appropriate (and, essentially, the minimums) but also gives smaller shows the flexibility to make the most of virtual enhancements (Yeston, 25).

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