Feedback: An earful
The concept of feedback is illustrated in an April 20, 2008 New York Times report:
an extraordinary noise-related argument between the conductor and the Bern Symphony Orchestra disrupted the opening night of Alban Berg?s ?Wozzeck? in March.
The piece called for 30 string players and 30 wind and percussion players, all crammed into a too-small pit. When the stage director complained in rehearsals that the music was too loud, the conductor didn?t order the orchestra to play more softly, but instead asked for a cover over the orchestral pit to contain the noise, said Marianne K?ch, the orchestra?s executive director.
That meant the noise bounced back at the musicians, bringing the level to 120 decibels in the brass section, similar to the levels in front of a speaker in a rock concert. The musicians complained. The
conductor held firm. But when the piece began, ?the orchestra decided to play softer anyway in order to protect themselves,? Ms. K?ch said.That made the conductor so angry that he walked off after 10 minutes or so, Ms. K?ch said. Told that there had been ?musical differences? between the conductor and the orchestra, the perplexed audience had to wait for the two sides to hash it out.
(Thanks to investigator William J. Maloney for bringing this to our
attention.)