7/24/2019 Opera Seminar Essay

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Opera observation assignment

Joshua Chua

10/23/2015

When I was sitting at the audience seats, I can hear air!" good amount

o vo!ume rom esch instrumenta! sections, but most prominent sound came

rom high register instruments, such as picco!o, brass, and a!so rom strings,

especia!!" the #rst vio!in p!a"ing in unison$ and o course timpani and

c"mba!s are ver" prominent too% When we moved to stage, it became ver"

di&erent% 'he entire sound o orchestra has become much distant and soter,

we cou!d hard!" hear the woodwind, and the most prominent is sti!! the string

and high brass% (esides, so!o instruments do perorm in a reer manner

compared to group o instruments%

'he orchestra reacts to the conductor much s!ower than what we

wou!d e)pect a pianist does% It is evident most!" in the entrances, where I

cou!d see his hand waving down or the downbeat which then !ater o!!owed

b" the actua! coming out o sound rom the orchestra in a tin" de!a"ed

timing% *ometimes, the conductor needs to anticipate the singer+s beat

waving hand ear!ier- in order to have the orchestra sounding on time with

the singer% I a!so observe that it is di.cu!t to demand the orchestra changes

in tempo, especia!!" speeding up, in a shorter time rame% !though I cou!d

see the conductor swings and waves his arms with bigger motion to demand

the orchestra to move aster, the" didn+t react instant!"% e a!so !a"s his

hand bac to demand diminuendo%

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'he conductor is active!" o!!owing the singers and even provides cue

or singers+ entrances, and orchestra mere!" reacts to conductor% e a!so

provides beats to the orchestra even on empt" bars, or when singer is

singing unaccompanied recitative% e a!so points to p!a"ers- or important

entrance, and provides c!ear cuto& signa!, to which the orchestra reacts

prett" instant!"%