Why opera singers don’t deafen each other

From an entertaining little exchange in the Guardian:

Why don’t opera singers deafen each other? They’re singing loud enough to be heard in the back row, yet they are right in each other’s ears. Brian Dermody, Blessington, Co Wicklow

As an opera singer we take some care, generally, to not sing directly into the ears of our cast mates. I make certain to adjust my position onstage to take care of my colleague’s ears no matter the situation. There are times when the sheer volume is deafening, but it is infrequent. More often than not it is hard to actually hear onstage. In America, where I mostly perform, stages and houses are built for large audiences and big travelling productions, not just opera. The sound of a pitted orchestra can go straight out and away from the stage, making it necessary for companies to amplify the orchestra and send the feed to speakers backstage, so singers can hear the accompaniment to their singing. This can be more deafening than the singers singing together. It’s a delicate balance no matter what. John Moore…

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