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Orchestral Music: How well synchronised in time do musicians have to be to sound as if they are playing together?

Last Updated: 20.06.2025 02:24

Orchestral Music: How well synchronised in time do musicians have to be to sound as if they are playing together?

Perfectly, in the ordained time.

Aside: Wagner FOREVER!

I remember, also, a single Violin holding an E6 far longer than notated in the finale to Wagner's Overture to “Tannhauser”. As the Violin figures in this Overture are among the best ever written, I found forgiveness in my Musical heart.

How is it, in the USA, a country with 334 million people, the choice of President comes down to two aged men, one of whom is a liar as well as a criminal, one who appears to be on his way to dementia. Surely a democratic country can put up better?

Pay attention to what's written and placed before you, fellow Musicians. It’s YOUR/OUR JOBS!! (Unless your part/passage is demarked as ad-libitum..”at you liberty’ or a piacere—”at your pleasure”, submit to the notes written and their proper duration in hold!).

I recall a single English Horn entering a millisecond before their due admittance at the outset in a recording of Wagner's “Ride of the Valkyries”. Not only this, but his/her assigned tremelo was to be from C#—D Natural, (Concert F#- G natural before transposition). The performer instead quavered between a C#—D#, (Concert tones F#—G# before transposition). The errant reading by the Hornist was impermissible and the recording should have been halted and begun anew. Yet, it was not. Worst recording ever.

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