Hi pressure orchestral recording - Yikes!

[Thirteen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1I2kyII2aw

A documentary that shows a recording studio under the most intense session pressure imaginable - Leonard Bernstein, conducting an orchestra and some of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century recording the score from "West Side Story". No room for F@#k-ups from anyone. Absolutely fascinating footage of an amazing studio, engineers and performers. How often do you see 5 guys behind a console following an orchestral score page-by page...

[Paul Maybury]

This is fantastic.
No headphones on the vocalists either.
Love it.
Thanks for posting this Steve.
Cheers,
Paul

[Thirteen]

The thing that floors me is that the opera singers have such fragile voices and Leonard Bernstein smokes like a chimney around them.

[Paul Maybury]

Well, he is the Maestro! I guess he can do what he likes.
Interesting how there is no real concern or problem with spill into the vocal mics, or between the vocal mics. Also that no singer works any closer than about two feet from the mics.
And what a beautiful sound all those people make together, at the same time, in the same room!
I haven't had time to view the whole thing, but I noted that L.B. finds listening to playbacks more fatiguing than conducting.
Cheers,
Paul