Vocalist.org archive


From:  kjensen@c...
kjensen@c...
Date:  Mon Mar 12, 2001  6:02 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] miking/enhancing in opera?


>Quoting from another post:
>
>> And on a similar subject, the Alagnas were involved
>> recently in a contract cancellation dispute,
>> allegedly because the opera house refused to use
>> some sort of voice enhancing equipment that the
>> Alagnas use regularly all over the world.
>
>Okay, does anybody know the answer to these rumors of
>secret miking?

Most North American halls are not at all suited to opera
performances, not being the traditional "rectangular box" shape of European
houses--an exception being the wonderful Ted Mann Theatre at the University
of Minnesota--so secret miking does occur. I know from experience as a
performer that it does in large Canadian concert halls--the culture among
the crew is that the technological "enhancement" using radio mikes is a
magical and undetectable addition to the show.
Also,two years ago as an audience member I was surprised that the
conductor didn't seem to think that the audience would notice that the
singer had been miked when he spoke about a particular performer being
slightly indiposed but not needing a mike. (Methought the gentlement doth
protest too much.) Audiences know, and it does feel like one has been
tricked.

Cheers, Karen Jensen
..





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