Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A different direction
In trying to think about the next topic I wanted to talk about on here, I couldn't get the idea of acoustic v. electric instruments out of my head (electric being new technology). There are certain instances where electric can be beneficial, but overall I think there are some situations that this technology hurts more than it helps. For example, you can't have an orchestra of electric violins, violas, cellos, and basses. That would be way too many amps to set up, and it'd be harder to blend sounds and the volume would be almost uncontrollable. And I would hate to think of what an electric clarinet or flute would sound like. This makes me think of how bad electric keyboards are at imitating the sounds of wind instruments. The one instance in which electric instruments and amps come in handy would be for the bass player in a jazz ensemble. You can either use an acoustic bass with an amp or electric bass with an amp and it would be a great improvement from not having the bass player amplified.
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Arielle, I completely agree. While technology has it's rightful place in music (most of music in our era involves much technology) but you make a great point about acoustic instruments. As an organist, I'm used to the problem. I practice my repertoire at home on my electric 2-manual organ and I become used to the sound it creates. However, when I bring the rep to a large church or cathedral with a pipe organ, I'm amazed by the sound I can produce. There's just no way to emulate air pushing through old metallic pipes. The instrument is made to warp in and out of tune, to breathe with the weather, and to literally push wind through a church. An electronic organ, however close to emulating the sound it can get, never gives the precise feeling a real organ does.
ReplyDeleteNow that we're performing African Sanctus in Chorale, a piece whose primary accompaniment is recorded tape of musicians playing freely in Africa who we sing over, I wonder if an electric orchestra is possible. In an age when Eric Whitacre makes millions off of YouTube Choirs, it seems strange no one has created the "first all-electric symphonic orchestra." I wonder if anyone would buy tickets!
I definitely would just to see the difference, however, I'd probably hate it
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