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Instructions 1. Stage and setup Altra voce is written for alto flute, mezzo-soprano and live electronics. The piece was developed by Luciano Berio from the scene Il campo in the musical theatre work Cronaca del Luogo.
The lateral positioning is calculated in the same way. Since the highest loudspeakers (H3) are positioned as wide apart as possible and the lowest (H1) are only about 4–5 metres apart, the intermediate loudspeakers will be positioned at the half way point. Ideally, the three pairs of loudspeakers should be positioned progressively (from H1 to H3) from the back of the stage towards the audience as shown in Fig. 2b.
It is best performed in large spaces which maintain the special layout of the loudspeakers for the sound projection.
H1
H1 Flute
Instructions for the placement of the performers A minimum of staging is required: the two musicians should be placed centre-stage, seated behind a special table upon which they organize their scores. The approximate dimensions of the table are 80x200x50 cm, with the top slightly inclined as shown in the diagram. 200 cm
75 cm
80 cm
Fig. 1. Table
50 cm
Lighting The table and the performers should be lit from above, in such a way that they are contained within a single rectangle of light at the centre of the stage. Ideally the rest of the hall should be in complete darkness.
Voice Table
H2
H2 H0
H0 Stage
H3
H3
Fig. 2b. View from above of the loudspeakers and performers This general plan must be adapted to the size of any concert hall. The quality of the loudspeakers should also be chosen according to the characteristics of the concert hall. Ideally the loudspeakers should be hung with suitable cables. It is possible to place the lowest loudspeakers (H1) on stands at the appropriate height. In addition to the six main loudspeakers, a further two (usually small) are required for the amplification and reverberation of the performers and are placed on the floor (H0) in front of the table.
2. Live electronics Positioning of the loudspeakers The six main loudspeakers should be positioned symmetrically behind and above the performers at different levels in order to create two divergent diagonal lines, as shown in fig. 2a. The level H3 must be as high as possible (usually at least 10 metres), the level H1 must be at about 2.5–3 metres and consequently the level H2 will be half way between H3 and H1.
H3 H2
H1
H0 Fig. 2a. Front view of the loudspeakers
The live electronics fall into three categories: live sampling and playback of various fragments of the score, harmonizing and sound spatialization. The voice and flute are picked up by directional head-worn microphones. The level of amplification should be proportional to the dimensions of the hall and low enough not to cover the natural sound of the two performers. This amplification passes through the two loudspeakers positioned on the floor in front of the table (H0). Reverberation will always be added to the sound of the flute and voice, and is projected over the same two loudspeakers (H0). As with the amplification, the type of reverberation must not excessively alter the perception of the natural sound and will be determined by the acoustics of the hall. The reverberation should be clearly audible during the first seven bars and then reduced; inversely it may be increased during the final three bars. Notation The electronics are notated in the score by a series of cues. Following Berio‘s original indications, cues are not conceived