Following nine months of online lectures and zoom recordings, the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was finally given permission to re-enter the Ian Potter Southbank Centre and play together again. In December 2020, the orchestra had five glorious days of socially distanced rehearsing and recording.
Protective screens were used to separate the wind and brass players from the strings. This posed a challenge for the musicians as sitting so far away from one another hampers many aspects of ensemble-quality. Compensating for this extra distance took considerable adjustment, from both the conductor’s gestures as well as each player’s tone production. Due to restricted sound travel, the players sitting 15 metres apart had to learn to re-calibrate their sound-response time and anticipate note-attacks, to sound together through the microphone.
This private studio-recording of Beethoven's 5th symphony illustrates the inspiring speed at which the separated orchestra were able to sound as one unified ensemble – as if sitting in a traditional formation.
Due to the restrictions in place to protect communities from the impacts of Covid-19, the Symphony Orchestra were unable to extend an invitation to audiences.
