Broadway Musicians Replaced With Synthesizers

wooferhound writes "Sophisticated synthesizers and computer-manipulated recordings are increasingly taking over orchestras. Sounding almost like real players, while costing much less, they're especially popular with provincial or touring companies. But until mid-July — when 'West Side Story's' producers announced that a synthesizer was replacing three live violinists and two cellists, or half the orchestra's string section — staff violinist Paul Woodiel thought that at least the classics would be immune to the trend. There are computer programs able to read and play back music scores — a boon to composers who can now hear their work as they write — and software allowing conductors to control the tempo of the machine, in the same way that they direct live players."

Re:What is the issue?

[h4rr4r]

And industry founded on the creation, performance, and appreciation of human creativity is about to suffer devaluation of the human talent upon which it is based.

Put down the bong. This is an industry like every other. If anything this will make the creators able to produce more works. You are just mistaking the workers for the creators. Also by reducing cost it should allow more people to be creators rather than workers.

Re:Live performance different from film

[h4rr4r]

The conductor controls the tempo and cues just like he controls the orchestra now. You are replacing a bunch of musicians with one robotic one that the conductor controls. This means more folks will get to do creative work, writing and conducting and less the drudgery.

Re:Live performance different from film

[king neckbeard]

It depends on who you ask. A conducted musician probably sees the actual playing as where the art is, while the conductor sees the conducting to be where the art is. A good conductor is certainly important, and if the tools were sophisticated enough to handle various cues to an extent similar to a musician, the artistic elements lost could be greatly reduced while opening many new opportunities.

Re:What is the issue?

[king neckbeard]

I'm sure the lights of many live shows are just as if not more controlled than this. You may say that lights aren't as important as music, but I'd say that's a matter of opinion and people in the respective fields would probably disagree.

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Re:What is the issue?

[wooferhound]

Live performances are never the same, that is why the orchestra is there. The song can be faster one night, or the onstage actor may change things up to keep it interesting, the orchestra can make changes on the fly that go along with what is happening onstage. A repeat customer appreciates the differences that they experience. It may be the same show but it is different every performance.

I am a spotlight operator at our local theater and I can assure you that a Broadway show is different every night. This is what keeps the crew awake during something that could be incredibly repetitive.

Re:What is the issue?

[Wain13001]

Composers already do this quite easily as it's not uncommon to have synth instruments in a pit along with the traditional ones. Replacing your instrumentalists with automation really doesn't give you as a composer any more sonic freedom...you actually have more freedom when your music has to be interpreted by a performer.

BTW I am a composer...it's what I do for a living...and I do it in theater.

Re:Great musicians have embraced new technology

[Anonymous Coward]

The only thing is, Bach didn't make the piano his bitch. JS Bach rejected the piano when he first saw it. He didn't see a piano he liked until 3 years before his death.

dom

Re:What is the issue?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't think you have ever been to hear an orchestra. :(

Speakers sound nothing like acoustic instruments. There are so many issues of distortion, frequency and phase response, radiation patterns. And that's even before you start considering the problems of capturing a three dimensional acoustic wave-front by sampling it with a one dimensional microphone diaphragm.

I have heard what would be considered the absolute best studio monitoring systems, in acoustically treated control rooms, with the most accurate microphones available. It's still immediately obvious that you are not listening to a live acoustic instrument.

I don't mean to say that recorded audio is always inferior, it's an art form in itself. In the same way, films are not necessarily any worse than watching live actors. It's just that our methods of recording and reproducing audio are still pretty primitive, and sound so obviously different that we don't even imagine getting accurate reproduction any more. Which is kind of sad really.

Re:E.g., Potsdam 1747

[rivaldufus]

He certainly tried them out. As far as I know, he didn't actually write anything for the fortepiano. Even though he had a favorable account of the later fortepianos, I guess it was too late in his life to really start writing for them.