All About the Wonderful PBT Orchestra
PBT is fortunate to have its own orchestra since 1987, which consists of professional musicians from all over the country. Those who don’t live in Pittsburgh fly here twice per year to provide live musical accompaniment for PBT productions. We all know that ballet is better with live music, and we’re proud to have these amazing musicians in our PBT family.
Audiences will have an opportunity to hear the PBT Orchestra play live with the Pittsburgh premiere of The Wizard Of Oz, May 9-18 at the Benedum Center.
Our Conductor
Charles Barker is the music director and principal conductor for the PBT Orchestra. He is also the principal conductor of American Ballet Theatre, a position he has held for over 25 years. Barker was music director of the Australian Ballet from 1997 to 2001, then joined the Royal Ballet in London for two seasons. He regularly guest-conducts for San Francisco Ballet and Houston Ballet. As music director of the American Chamber Orchestra from 1981 to 1987, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in February 1983. He was a member of the Barnard-Columbia Ancient Drama Group, which presents Greek drama in the original language, and wrote music for productions of The Bacchae, Hippolytus and Heracles. Barker lives in New York with his wife, Miranda Coney, former principal dancer of the Australian Ballet, and their two boys.
Production Week for the PBT Orchestra
While our company artists move their rehearsals to the Benedum Center and our production team readies the technical elements of each performance, the PBT Orchestra is hard at work perfecting the music for the production. Below is a peek into what a typical production week, the week before opening night, looks like for them.
Before Production Week: The PBT Orchestra members receive their sheet music at least 30 days before rehearsals start. Yoland Collin, PBT’s principal company pianist, music administrator and PBT Orchestra manager, accompanies PBT artists on the piano throughout their rehearsal process.
Monday: The conductor, Charles Barker, comes to the Byham Center for Dance | PBT Studios, and watches a run-through rehearsal of the production, during which Yoland shares any tempo changes, stage cues, steps to follow, etc. with Charles. Charles then conducts Yoland on the piano for another run-through rehearsal. The first PBT Orchestra read, which is playing the score all together for the first time, takes place that evening at the Benedum.
Tuesday: Charles watches and conducts another run-through with piano at the Byham Center for Dance | PBT Studios. That evening is the second PBT Orchestra read at the Benedum.
Wednesday: PBT artists move into the Benedum for the technical rehearsal on stage (called the piano-tech). During this stop-and-start rehearsal, various elements of the production are assembled, including scenery and costume changes, props, blocking/spacing for the PBT artists and lighting adjustments. The show is run in order, but the production team takes time to stop and adjust things that don’t work. Sometimes scenes are repeated with another cast to allow them to try everything out for themselves. At this point, the PBT artists are still accompanied by Yoland on the piano while Charles conducts.
Thursday: Everyone comes together for the dress rehearsal at the Benedum. This is the first time the PBT artists hear – and dance with – the PBT Orchestra! The run-through doesn’t stop unless something significant needs immediate attention.
Friday: Opening night!
Performing with the Orchestra
We asked our conductor, Charles Barker, and a few PBT Orchestra members for their thoughts about what it is like performing in the PBT Orchestra. PBT Orchestra members we interviewed include:
- Linda Fisher, Principal Bassoon
- David Lintz, Principal French Horn
- Anne Victoria Nasevich, Violin
- Karen Sloneker, Trumpet
What is the most challenging part of accompanying a ballet performance compared to a traditional concert performance?
Charles: “Ballet and opera are theatre. It is an entirely different and non-comparable plane to a concert performance. Theatre has many, many components that concerts lack. Concerts have the advantage of singling out only the music as the most important element.”
Linda: “The most challenging part of ballet, as opposed to straight orchestra programming, is the length of the programs. Many productions are 2-2.5 hours with full orchestration.”
Anne Victoria: “The most challenging part of accompanying a ballet performance compared to a traditional concert performance is the ability to adapt. Musicians in a traditional concert also need to adapt to the musicians around them, but ballet is different in that the dancers are the soloists and the musicians accompany them. If the dancers change anything during a performance, we as the orchestra have a responsibility to play as one with the conductor, who oversees both the dancers and musicians.”
David: “The most challenging aspect of accompanying a ballet performance is perfecting the musical score to be ready with only two rehearsals. For the dress rehearsal, the music must already be performance-ready. The dress rehearsal is the only chance we have to rehearse with the dancers. In a traditional orchestra concert performance, there are usually five rehearsals. In an orchestra concert, there are usually three works performed. A short overture or contemporary work, followed by a concerto, with short breaks between the first work and the concert movements, followed by an Intermission, then a symphony with short breaks between the movements. A ballet score runs continuously with no breaks, much like a movie or opera score.”
What is people’s most common misconception about the orchestra’s role in ballet performances?
Charles: “The PBT audience loves the PBT Orchestra. It is evident in their applause. It is very gratifying to me to know they are so erudite and astute. This is not the case everywhere. I don’t believe our audience members have any misconceptions. They understand the importance of live music in ballet and they support it.”
Karen: “I don’t think that people understand the importance of the orchestra in ballet performance and the role it plays in allowing the dancers to be expressive and musical in their performance. The orchestra, following the conductor, works as an accompanying vehicle, very much like the orchestra accompanying a soloist in a violin concerto. The conductor follows the lead of the soloist, and the orchestra follows the conductor, allowing for greater musical expression in the service of the composer and the choreographer. When dancers perform to taped music, they must accommodate the taped performance rather than the music accompanying the movement. For those reasons, every ballet performance is different. We strive to follow what the dancers are doing, and sometimes that means a last note will be delayed or come along more quickly than the performance before. There is a sense of being part of one enormous musical experience expressed both in sound and movement.”
Linda: “I would say most audiences are not aware of the collaboration between the conductor and the stage. The partnership that sets tempos and then adjusts for each performance for individual artists.”
Anne Victoria: “I think that the most common misconception people have about the orchestra’s role in a ballet performance is when people assume that it is not as important as the dancing. To that, I would say both the dancers and the musicians are equally important, even though one is visible and the orchestra resides in the pit. We work together as a team so that the experience for the audience is amazing and fulfilling, so that they will come back to enjoy more wonderful productions. Everyone who is a part of making any production happen wants PBT to thrive because it is unlikely for one city to have excellence in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Opera, but also Pittsburgh Ballet.”
David: “Some misconceptions some people may have are how the orchestra adapts to the dancers. Humans are not machines, so dancers may take more or less time for certain dance moves, especially when the cast changes for each performance. This enables the dancers to have more artistic expression when the music is flexible. A live orchestra can adapt if a dancer falls out of sync.”
How much of your performance is about synchronization with the choreography, and how much is about delivering a musical interpretation of the score?
Charles: “Good Question! Ultimately, it’s both. Within the framework of the choreography, I must make music. So I have to first learn the music, then the choreography, then meld them. Sometimes this is extremely difficult, but mostly it is just a matter of me hearing the music in my head over and over and coming up with just the right way.”
What happens if a dancer falls out of sync during a performance? How does the orchestra adapt?
Charles: “Things do go wrong on stage occasionally. It is a live performance. Part of my job is to be alert and aware of even minor deviations in the motions of a dancer in order to lead them or to give them time to catch up.”
Linda: “The conductor follows the core and soloists. They know the artists and the choreography, so they adjust to make it adapt to their performance or to push them. If individual core members are struggling, they will adjust to their lines. I think only soloists are followed so closely as to affect the orchestra. That said, the orchestration will have certain places where the group can allow time or speed up to allow the core to coordinate itself.”
Anne Victoria: “When we are in the orchestra pit, it is very difficult for many of us to see what is happening on stage. It is so critical for everyone to be locked into the conductor at all times, just in case a dancer falls out of sync. We all rely heavily on not only cues but, most importantly, tempi to suit the dancers’ needs.”
How do you collaborate with the artistic director, choreographer and dancers when preparing for a new production?
Charles: “The Artistic Director or the choreographer is ultimately responsible for the performance. My task is to bring their vision to life as concerns the music. In rehearsals, I work closely with Yoland Collin to tie all of the different aspects of a ballet together. This has to do with giving and taking cues, leading and following, and in general, being aware of the overall movement of the ballet.”
How do you prepare for a ballet both before and during Production Week?
Charles: “Preparation before production week is something I can do anywhere. Simply put, I learn the score – usually for memory – so I will be able to direct the PBT Orchestra musicians in the orchestra-alone rehearsals. During production week, Yoland is my key resource for connecting with the specific dancers and managing corners and junctions.”
How much time do you spend preparing for a ballet before Production Week?
Linda: “The prep time is really impossible to answer. Every instrument, every player, has their own strengths and weaknesses. The job of any performer is to present a level where no one knows what’s difficult. One player might have played a part several times, while for another, it could be their first. In addition, all players come from another symphony/opera and then work on the ballet before going to the next production, so most are working on repertoire from several jobs each week.”
Anne Victoria: “Truly, it depends on the ballet and the composer. Personally, I might prepare way too much, but it is beneficial to over-prepare so that I can look up at the conductor frequently and avoid second-guessing the music.”
David: “Orchestra musicians have to practice routines every day to stay in shape on their instruments, before even working on a ballet orchestral score. Lesser-known works must also be listened to.”
What is a PBT Production Week like for you?
Linda: “PBT weeks are very fast from the rehearsals to opening. We usually have two days to read as an orchestra, two dress rehearsals with the stage and then open and play 3-4 shows in a row (as opposed to opera, which is spaced out over 7-9 days, since singers do not perform the next day to protect their voices).”
Anne Victoria: “PBT production weeks are always very fun and exciting. The hardest part for me, which is learning the notes and rhythms, is over and then I can enjoy fitting in with the rest of the orchestra during rehearsals and concerts. Essentially, it is just big chamber music at that point with extremely hard-working and talented colleagues.”
David: “During the ballet production week, all of our other jobs we need to survive must be put on hold or intricately juggled with our other obligations.”
What are some of your favorite ballet scores to perform, and why?
Linda: “My favorite scores are the Russian Ballets – Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker, Rite of Spring, which ties into the best part of playing for the ballet. It’s an incredible collaboration of the arts – dance/music and the effect of each on the other. It’s amazing to feel the energy of a live performance. It never gets old!”
Anne Victoria: “Anything by Prokofiev fascinates me, so I would have to say both Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet are my favorites. Even though I am a violinist, I love to hear the brass because when they play, it sounds thick and glorious in the hall. I can almost feel the music in my body at times, and that is a unique sensation. I have heard a lot of people refer to this as the “boom of the hall,” and I couldn’t agree more.”
David: “My favorite ballet scores are the ones of Prokofiev. They are modern, but still accessible for most audiences.”
What is the most rewarding aspect of playing live for a ballet?
Karen: “The most rewarding aspect of playing for ballet sometimes occurs in the intermission. At that point, the orchestra pit is similar to feeding time at the zoo. My most memorable and gratifying experience with this happened during The Nutcracker years ago. A young child dressed in all of her ballet finery looked into the pit, then looked at her mother and exclaimed, ‘Mommy, I wondered where the music was coming from!’ As an early childhood music educator, I saw the future of live music in that child’s wonder.”
Anne Victoria: “The most rewarding aspect of playing live is the audience’s appreciation for not only the dancers but also the musicians. It’s a great thing to stand up at the end of a performance and see all the smiling faces. Live music is an incredible essence that cannot be replaced by recordings, and I feel privileged and grateful to be a small part of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater Orchestra.”
David: “The most rewarding performances for me are when I sense a connection between the dancers, orchestra and audience. We all become one.”
Live music brings a layer of magic to live ballet performances, allowing audience members to be immersed in the world on stage. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre considers itself very lucky to have such a talented group of professional musicians in the pit to help bring the Benedum Center to life. We invite audiences to experience the live music of the fabulous PBT Orchestra in The Wizard of Oz this coming May 9-18.