Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1979 - 14

Figure 5
A Large Orchestra Pit Relocates Only a Small
Portion of the Audience Farther from the Stage

adequate elbow room. Conversely, musicians who ordinarily
make their living playing in recording studios or on concert
platforms where they generally have sufficient space will not
put up with that available in most opera pits. Because this type
of musician is by far the most common in opera production in
North America, we counsel that pit designs not be derived
from the areas provided in opera houses which use permanently hired pit orchestras.
The "square-foot-per-musician" guideline approach also
becomes misleading in certain instances because the number
of instruments used by one musician varies, the sizes of the
instruments vary, and the amount of "elbow space" required
varies from instrument to instrument. A musician playing a
clarinet requires relatively little space. Musicians playing cellos, trombones, and double basses require much more.
Sometimes opera scores call for two pianos. If these are
both concert-grand size, the reader can see the problem
which results from the use of a guidelines calling for only thirteen square feet of space per musician. Some opera scores
call for rather large batteries of percussion. If five or six tympanies are needed, the conductor will usually find his musi-

Avoid Wall Here
(See Fig. g for Correct Design)

Theatre Design & Technology

cians badly cramped in pits designed using "square-foot-permusician" guidelines.
There are still other reasons why the standard guidelines
are misleading. Some conductors insist on using risers, and
this procedure requires extra space. In the overhang area (the
pit extension under the stage) columns sometimes reduce the
usefulness of the floor area provided. The practice of conductors insisting on certain departmental layouts for various
sections of their orchestras also leads to inefficient use of
space, and this, in turn, leads to a cramped layout if the traditional "square-foot-per-musician" guidelines have been used.
Perhaps the best rule of thumb would be to provide at least
sixteen square feet of floor space per musician. If the proper
design approach is utilized, the conductors will no longer be
faced with the problem of having to "make do" with a smaller
orchestra than called for by the composer, will no longer have
to accept cramped conditions for his musicians, and theatre/
concert hall/opera house owners will no longer have to consider bringing in jackhammers after opening day to make their
opera pits large enough for their opera-producing organizations.

The Gap
Frequently, auditorium designers raise objections to what
they call the large "psychological gap" which large orchestra
pits form between the acting area onstage and the audience.
However, Figures Sa and 5b demonstrate that only a small
part of the audience is, in terms of actual distance, moved farther from the actor. The bulk of the audience remains at exactly the same viewing distances from the acting areas as if
there were either a very small pit orchestra or no pit orchestra.
This fact, coupled with design approaches for giving the opera
organization several options on how they will use the throat
area-the pit/forestage zone--considerably weakens arguments concerning distance from audience members to actors.

Acoustical Benefits of Very Large Overhang
Areas
Figure 6 shows a section of an orchestra pit with vertical
walls-absolutely no overhang areas. This type of pit is
anathema for stage versus pit loudness balance and for sectional loudness balance. Figure 7a shows a plan of a pit with
vertical walls, and Figure 7b the pit floor area when extending
the pit back beneath the stage floor at the rear as well as off to

Figure 6
Orchestra Pit with No Overhang

USIIT/Fall, 1979

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