Great question. From a IR perspective, Dietz and others are far more qualified than I.
From a playing and conducting POV, there's quite a difference.
The sound is funneled (generally) and 'tightened'. That is, from an audiences perspective, it's a little quieter and more central. It does depend on which pit you're confined to but i wll address this in generalities. From a stage perspective, the singers are subject to a change in thier understanding too. A solo singer in a normal performance setting would stand next or near the conductor, with the sound coming from 'behind'. The stage performer with the orchestra in the pit gets it in their face, or more accurately, up their front. The change of perspective is significant, and i've heard many a singer struggle initially with this 'different' way of listening.
For the players too, there is a change. Dynamics are sometimes adjusted to give the audience and performers a complete sound. Instruments normally played with no 'baffle' will ring in a different direction to those played in a pit with acoustical challenges of walls, a tighter seating plan, and the stage, all contributing to a different distribution of sound. As a former conductor of such ensembles i would often go through each piece with the players and make dynamic and seating adjustments to try and get as close as possible to a normal orchestral sound given the limitations. And often, the size of ensemble was, by neccessity of restricted space, reduced, with many players doubling on other instruments. I spent a lot of time re arranging works to try and capture the normal perception of the piece, with less players and some performing some fairly acrobatic changes from one instrument to another.
hope this helps,
Regards,
Alex.
From a playing and conducting POV, there's quite a difference.
The sound is funneled (generally) and 'tightened'. That is, from an audiences perspective, it's a little quieter and more central. It does depend on which pit you're confined to but i wll address this in generalities. From a stage perspective, the singers are subject to a change in thier understanding too. A solo singer in a normal performance setting would stand next or near the conductor, with the sound coming from 'behind'. The stage performer with the orchestra in the pit gets it in their face, or more accurately, up their front. The change of perspective is significant, and i've heard many a singer struggle initially with this 'different' way of listening.
For the players too, there is a change. Dynamics are sometimes adjusted to give the audience and performers a complete sound. Instruments normally played with no 'baffle' will ring in a different direction to those played in a pit with acoustical challenges of walls, a tighter seating plan, and the stage, all contributing to a different distribution of sound. As a former conductor of such ensembles i would often go through each piece with the players and make dynamic and seating adjustments to try and get as close as possible to a normal orchestral sound given the limitations. And often, the size of ensemble was, by neccessity of restricted space, reduced, with many players doubling on other instruments. I spent a lot of time re arranging works to try and capture the normal perception of the piece, with less players and some performing some fairly acrobatic changes from one instrument to another.
hope this helps,
Regards,
Alex.