Slow. Slower. Slowest.
In other news …
Oh. Wait. I have no other news.
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“I don’t think that [a virtual orchestra] will ever sound exactly the same or as good as a traditional acoustic orchestra,” assuming it’s performing the traditional European repertoire, says Jeff Lazarus, chief executive officer of Realtime Music Solutions in New York City.
So much to say. But I’m just at a point where I shrug my shoulders. If audiences don’t care about live musicians, these replacements might succeed. Until there’s a power outage of course. But I’ve heard fake pit orchestras and, believe me, I could hear a difference.
And they weren’t playing “traditional Europeian repertoire” either.
When it is suggested that these machines are merley to augment, not replace, I can come close to understanding; there are small pits. But there are also large pits where they are being used (like our very own San Jose Center for the Performing Arts). And yes, they do avoid hiring local musicians when they use these machines. I laughed out loud when Jameson and I went to see Cats. The “instruments” were laughable. Truly.
The article includes quotes from Christopher Raphael. He is opposed to the musicians’ union’s opposition to these musician replacements. But … well … he is no longer a professional performing musician. Hmmm. I can’t help but wonder if he’s happy to replace musicians because he didn’t make it as one. I’m just pondering … he very well may have been extremely successful and just opted for a different career. (The last I knew of him he was principal oboist with Santa Cruz Symphony, a part-time, non-living wage paying orchestra.)
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