by Patrick Wolfe
On November 20 Frederick Bianchi and David Smith spoke to the Chicago section about the Virtual Orchestra, a network of computers and multi-channel speaker playback designed to simulate a real orchestra. Drs. Bianchi and Smith demonstrated the Virtual Orchestra and explained the reasons for its invention, as well as current and future uses of Virtual Orchestra technology.
The evening's
presentation began with a "live" Virtual Orchestra performance (sans conductor)
of the overture to Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. Although not conceived
to replicate the experience of a full symphony orchestra in concert, the
Virtual Orchestra has been designed to function as a complete pit orchestra
for opera and musical theater productions. In addition to mimicking a traditional
orchestra, explained Drs. Bianchi and Smith, the Virtual Orchestra is capable
of performing electronic music, computer music, sound effects, or any combination
thereof. In fact, one of the principal reasons for the Virtual Orchestra's
invention was to promote the use of computer music in opera and theater.
Drs. Smith and Bianchi, unsatisfied with the lack of advances in that area,
decided that technology must meet opera and theater in its existing form.
This led to the invention of the Virtual Orchestra, a real-time device whose
orchestral emulations are procedural as well as sonic. Its inventors
were quick to point out that they consider the Virtual Orchestra to be a
true musical instrument rather than simply a complex playback device. Although
a full demonstration was not given, they claim that the Virtual Orchestra
can follow a conductor and respond expressively to a variety of musical
situations. In the second performance of the evening, the Orchestra provided
accompaniment to a Puccini aria: Dr. Smith conducted an excellent vocalist
while Dr. Bianchi continuously tapped tempo into the Virtual Orchestra so
that it followed the varying pace of Dr. Smith. In a real production, explained
Dr. Smith, the score would first be entered into the Virtual Orchestra and
then much time would be spent programming style, tempi, and dynamics to the
style of a particular conductor . Then, using four accelerometers in the
conductor's tuxedo, the Virtual Orchestra would be able to respond to subtle
deviations by the conductor from programmed tempi and dynamics. Drs. Smith
and Bianchi did not address technical aspects of the Virtual Orchestra's
operation such as audio synthesis algorithms, preferring rather to concentrate
on the wide variety of uses for their product and its previous successes.
The Virtual
Orchestra has been used in productions such as Twelve Dreams and
God's Heart at Lincoln Center, and bring in da noise, bring in
da funk on Broadway. In what its inventors consider its greatest success,
the Virtual Orchestra was also used exclusively in the national tour of a
Tennessee opera company. Tales of a resulting picket by the Musician's Union
led to a heated discussion amongst members as to the pros and cons of such
a device, and the value of live acoustic music versus the importance of exposing
opera to a wider audience. In the
future its developers hope to see the Virtual Orchestra used as a delivery
system for new musical ideas, especially new operas. It may also allow the
staging of some works, such as Schoenberg's Guerreleider, which have
prohibitively large instrumental personnel requirements. The Virtual Orchestra
appears to be well on its way toward its ultimate goal of providing companies
around the country the ability to tour and disseminate artistic product.
Drs. Bianchi and Smith remained to answer specific questions and to distribute
autographed pictures of the Virtual Orchestra. The Chicago section would
once again like to extend to them a sincere thank-you for presenting and
discussing their thought-provoking work. 