Henrietta Bredin talks to the leader of ENO’s orchestra about working ‘in the trenches’
‘Working in the trenches’ is how some people describe their lives in the orchestra pit, playing for opera performances. The traditional opera house has a horseshoe-shaped auditorium and the musicians are accommodated below stage level so that, ideally, the sound they make floats up and out into the theatre without overwhelming the singers. At Bayreuth, in the Festspielhaus that Wagner had built specifically for the performance of his own operas, the musicians are completely invisible, in a pit that is not just recessed well beneath the stage but is also covered by a hood.
Janice Graham is the leader of English National Opera’s orchestra and, coming from a background of playing in symphony orchestras, was surprised to discover how much she enjoys playing in the pit.
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