Physics 36 / Music 36 Duke University Spring 2010 Handout 5

Live Performance Report Outline:
Some Aspects to Consider

type of music (period, style, etc.)

instruments involved

have performers made any choices as to what instrument(s) to use?

any deviations from composer's instructions or tradition?

dynamic range requirements of the music (softest - loudest)

relatively wide range? relatively narrow?

dynamic balance challenges

(solos heard? some instruments hard to hear? some instruments too prominent?)

pitch range requirements (lowest - highest)

are very low pitches emphasized? very high pitches?

tempo range requirements (slowest - fastest)

tempos all roughly the same? some very fast or slow? do some sound better in room than others?

do you think that tempo choices (composer's or performer's) may have been affected by room acoustics?

any deviations from composer's instructions or tradition?

any advantages offered and/or restrictions imposed by room acoustics?

special need for clarity of temporal (rhythmic) figures?

were rapid, intricate rhythms an important factor in this performance? could you hear them clearly?

special need for clarity of subtle spectral features?

distinctness of inner voices important within harmonies? were any instruments just not audible in the ensemble?

kind of room likely intended or assumed by composer

size? acoustic livliness? how similar to the one chosen for this performance?

reverberation time

noticeable variation in reverberation time with frequency? (e.g. pitch or timbre changes as reverberation following note dies away?)

reverberation time affected by audience size?

reflections

specular: plane surfaces? convex surfaces? concave surfaces? potential distinct echoes?

diffuse: for what range of frequencies?

do you have a sense of being surrounded by the music?

is there a sense of intimacy between performer(s) and audience?

do any sounds seem to come from odd directions?

do you hear any obvious echoes (distinct delayed images of sound events)?

are you aware of reverberation (sound prolonged but without delayed images of distinct events)?

noise?

intruding noise events? from outside the hall? from inside the hall?

is the dynamic range avaiilable to performers limited by constant background noise?

other rooms on campus or nearby that might have been better for this performance?

good sense of ensemble?

do the performers play as one? do they seem comfortable playing together?

simultaneity problems?

are there ragged entrances or places where players are "out of sync" with each other?

how much do the performers rely on sight and how much on hearing in playing together?

choice of performer's location in room

how well can (each) performer hear self/others?

any especially good or bad audience seat locations?

where are you sitting, and why?

were any adjustments made to the room for this performance?

some instruments are more directional than others; is that a factor in this performance?

were there large differences between rehearsal and performance room acoustics?

any electronic considerations? (amplification, mixing electronic and acoustic instruments, etc.)

any special considerations or problems because of recording?

overall effect?

Note: some students automatically assume that if they see microphones, electronic sound amplification is involved. If you don't see or hear any loudspeakers, any microphones you see many be there just for recording.