Disney Hall:
What's it like?
I recently attended opening
night for the Los Angeles Philharmonic 2003-4 season in
Disney Hall. In a word it was transformational for me. I
doubt that I will go to any concert without comparing it to
the experience at the Disney Hall.
The
music was Mahler's Resurrection, a piece that I would
describe as huge. The program notes said that everything by
Mahler is bigger than everyone else, more notes and more
instruments. It was certainly true last night. The music
went from the quietest little solo of a single instrument
to a huge crashing crescendo involving everyone at full
volume and high fervor.
The
hall sounded great, nothing was lost and in the truly big
moments it seemed that we were all vibrating as if inside
some big instrument. I'm no expert but I thought that it
sure sounded impressive.
But
what really topped off the experience for me was our seat
location. Disney Hall has a new seating arrangement called
"vineyard" seating. The Orchestra is located more in the
center of the hall and the audience is seated all around.
Way more folks on the traditional back of the hall with the
orchestra facing them (and the conductor with his back to
them), but hundreds on either side and behind the
orchestra. These latter seats in steeply pitched rows that
get you very close to the orchestra and the action. Much,
much closer than I've ever been.
We
were in the back behind the orchestra where only about
200-300 of the seats out of 2500 are located. From there we
looked right down on top of the tympani section and were
just to the left of the chorale singers. Perhaps most
importantly we could see the conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen as
he faced the orchestra.
Watching
from that position really affected my view of the event. I
felt as if I were a part of the concert, not as a
participant, but as more than simply an audience. I was
able to see the orchestra, like never before and I was able
to watch the conductor work the orchestra to produce the
grand performance that we witnessed. Watching him conduct
was magnificent, it made you realize what has begin going
on with him and the orchestra all these years. (Look out,
now maybe I'm sounding like an advocate for Vatican
II!)
Previously
I had experienced the audience as simply the back of the
head of the person in front of you, but with this new
viewpoint it seemed as if the audience was now a gathering
of people intimately involved in the concert. It was as if
someone came over to your house to play something wonderful
and we all pulled in our chairs real close and participated
in the music-making. I felt less like a member of the
audience than a part of a tribe of music lovers wanting to
share an experience central to their
culture.
So
that's what it was like. I'd bet that once many people
experience these seats behind the orchestra they will no
longer be considered cheap seats.
Go
see for yourself: Los Angeles
Philharmonic
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Below:
Here's the view from a seat like the one I sat in on
opening night.
