dstpt Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1272
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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A couple of (serious) reflections:
I remember hearing Vince Cichowicz talk about the volume of modern orchestras in a master class that was recorded in the early 1980s. He said musicians were discussing how loud brass sections were becoming in general. He mentioned how Solti used to ask for more and more brass, yet in the hall, reports were that they were almost too much at times. At some point, they discovered that where Solti stood on the podium was a dead spot, acoustically! It makes me wonder how much that brass section–being a model for players world wide–have influenced a cause of further expansion of the dynamic spectrum in other orchestras. And if we believe that instruments and mouthpieces are being made better and better and with greater projection power, then this generation may be on the verge of pushing the boundaries too far, do you think?
Another point already touched on: The more in-tune a group plays, the bigger the sound will be, which might be interpreted by some as being louder. Well, that's been my experience as well as what I've heard other pros discuss through the years. I'm sure someone has some definite "proof" to that effect, no? Studies, maybe? |
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