The sub-stage orchestral environment : the pits?

Schuster, Pierre

The sub-stage orchestral environment : the pits?

Thesis / Dissertation

1992

Abstract

The primary objective of this thesis is the exploration of the orchestra pit environment. Three analytical elements establish the purpose for this examination. First, a historical review serves as an essential guide to understanding how and· why the contemporary orchestra pit milieu emerged. Second, by relating this sub-stage environment to the rest of the auditorium, fundamental principles of design become evident. The success or failure of an opera pit depends directly upon these principles. Third, the examination of individual features of design in relation to these principles forms the basis for refined critical assessment. Since its inauguration in 1971, the orchestra pit at the Nico Opera House in Cape Town has undergone numerous alterations, affecting both the physical and acoustical environment. An analysis of the effects of these modifications demonstrates, and indeed confirms, the benefits of using a structured approach, as suggested above, when appraising a sub-stage environment. Inevitably this thesis deals at least obliquely with the interface between the building design and the human factor, and much of this implicates management and the decision-making process. It is hoped that this treatise will assist in establishing parameters for real decisions about pits for orchestras in the future.

Keywords

Theater architecture

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