Jeff Beck - Rollin And Tumblin

A special innovation for that time was the unusual design of the orchestra pit, "hidden" rather deep under the stage: its floor is not horizontal, as in other theaters, but "going into the abyss", that is, continuing the general inclination of the entire auditorium, built in a semicircular amphitheater . The sound rises up the hall, and the orchestra itself is practically invisible to the public, which allows it not to be distracted by the movements of the musicians and the wave of the conductor’s wand. Music is born as if by itself, from nowhere, giving the impression of a miracle happening without any human intervention. Wagner himself called the Festspielhaus orchestra pit “the mystical abyss”; the sound of the orchestra turned out to be a little muffled, more united and soft. In addition, this innovation made it possible to use an enlarged, sometimes doubled,the composition of the orchestra without fear that the musicians will drown out the singers. On the contrary, in Festspielhaus reached the maximum possible balance between the sound of instruments and a human voice. True, the performer needs to additionally adapt to the ideal Bayreuth acoustics - it is so unusual for other theaters.