MRC01
Major Contributor
If so, that's a disappointing trend. If you want unamplified natural sound, try smaller venues, chamber music, or local college or amateur performances.
1You can drive your ears into distortion, and it does indeed sound not unakin to clipping. It is not pleasant. You need to attend a rock concert and stand in front of the bass bins. You won't hear it at an orchestral concert. A symphony orchestra can make you wince at the sound levels, but you won't get your ears into distortion. One thing that people unused to live orchestral music don't realise is that live, many instruments sound a lot more raw than when recorded. Apart from a flute just about every instrument is a sea of harmonics, and horns live have a harshness that most people find quite startling. A composer also takes advantage of mixing together the tambre of different instruments, and can achieve some dramatic sounds that you might not expect. Again, live, this takes on a whole new set of colours and rawness.
I hope my post was accurate, and I didn't mean to poo poo performances in the Kennedy Center in case that's how my post came off. I certainly have heard some good concerts there.Thank you @Dialectic. I found that very informative, coming from someone who has actually played there.
Understood, thanks. I didn’t think you were being derogatory, just being honest. In any case, it’s our only local option for classical concerts. Baltimore is a little too far unless we stay overnight.I hope my post was accurate, and I didn't mean to poo poo performances in the Kennedy Center in case that's how my post came off. I certainly have heard some good concerts there.
When the Seattle symphony moved to Benaroya hall from the old opera house I remember them saying that they had to adjust their playing because the acoustics were so good. In the hall's smaller venue I was waiting to hear a solo lute performance and I remember saying to myself that you could "hear" the air in that room....it was poised to carry sound....The acoustics of a concert hall contributes a lot to the sound of the orchestra. If a venue needs amplification then it's not fit for purpose and I would never attend a classical music concert there, not even for free.
Classical music mustn't not be amplified.
I've once listened to orchestral and another time to opera outdoors. Awful idea.
Here in Boston - we have an outdoor bandstand on the river which sometimes uses amplification due to the large crowds which attend all along the river.
When the Seattle symphony moved to Benaroya hall from the old opera house I remember them saying that they had to adjust their playing because the acoustics were so good. In the hall's smaller venue I was waiting to hear a solo lute performance and I remember saying to myself that you could "hear" the air in that room....it was poised to carry sound....
Some recordings manage to retain this "rawness" and sheer dynamics. A stellar exemple is Beethoven: The Symphonies Osmo Vänskä (Conductor), Minnesota Orchestra (Orchestra) by the people at BIS.
You sure it wasn't your brain just trying to shut it out?singing the Bulgarian version of "Happy Birthday". The room clipped.
Surrounded by [to me] ear candy? Try again.You sure it wasn't your brain just trying to shut it out?
What do you mean by the room clipped?I remember being in the middle of a circle of Bulgarian Singers [the "Mystery Girls" of "Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares"] at the Berkeley Opera Club some thirty years ago, singing the Bulgarian version of "Happy Birthday". The room clipped.
My ears flattened out, the sound I was hearing was the same I associate with amp clipping. There was more voice than room available. Their vocal technique emphasizes volume, comes from calling from one mountainside to another. I've recorded [many times] an Oakland group using a similar technique with a smaller group and a slightly lower peak level. But their dynamic range was similarly wide.What do you mean by the room clipped?
I'm only familiar with how they sound via the crappy tape recordings transferred to CD, they do sound like they could kick out some volume though.
I've experienced similar at rock concerts, using ear plugs reveals its the ears, as what seemed like huge distortion drops to low distortion.My ears flattened out, the sound I was hearing was the same I associate with amp clipping. There was more voice than room available.
Most classical music is played at around 80 db with 90 db peaks in live concerts. I don't think your ears should distort at those kind of volumes. If they are you should probably consult an audiologist.We were about where the center of the blue smudge lies. Towards the front, but not way up.
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