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Joseph at joyrides without maps is a blogger with cul-chah. He gives a great inside-the-hall report on opening night at Frank Gehry's monument -- and posts it before midnight. He leaves the music review to the critics and dishes on Disney Hall's friendly confines.
Here's the biggest problem I noticed tonight: when it's full, it's downright claustrophobic, even for the normally relaxed. Now, not many feel that claustrophobic, and music should relax you, but this place will bring out the worst in those predisposed.The rows are so narrow they're crippling, and where I sat, Terrace E, they are sports-arena-level raked. Note to geriatrics: fall while going to a seat on a terrace and you're dead. (Nonetheless, I will sit there again whenever I can--I can't imagine better sound--you are right over the orchestra in a crows nest.)
No matter, this is the worst concert hall possible for anyone predisposed to anxiety. At the Dorothy Chandler, they used to dispense cough drops--here they should dispense Xanax.
...
The seating is intimate, but because it's in the round, that just means you can see anyone who moves. Need to run out of an aisle suddenly? Forget it here. You'll cause a riot. Everyone in the Hall will see you...
It's intimate, the Disney Hall. Too intimate. It's a veritable doll house inside. In the anxiety to break down the barrier between orchestra and audience, the audience is too much with us.
He worked the room at the party and ran into Pete Wilson, Warren Beatty ("shorter than I thought") and Arianna Huffington ("taller than I thought").
I managed to get into a preview concert last week and was extremely impressed. I loved the layout and the acoustics seemed wonderful (Amy is right, though -- the acoustics are so good that audience sounds carry a little too well). Stravinsky's "Printemps" never sounded better to me.
Posted by: Tim McGarry at October 24, 2003 08:56 AMI listened to the premiere on radio. I felt like throttling those members of the audience who coughed or even cleared their throat---the acoustics are that sensitive, certainly as heard on an FM station's broadcast last night. Microphones also on occasion picked up the sound of odd thuds here and there (one newspaper review indicates that must be from people merely moving their feet or dropping their purses). However, I believe the vibrant quality of the hall's sound, which made listening to the music more enjoyable, was detectable even on radio.
Disney Concert Hall may end up a true classic.
Posted by: Megan at October 24, 2003 09:16 AMDisney has a concert hall?
Why hasn't the L.A. Times written something about it?
Even just a little blurb. I'm sure their readers would be interested.
Posted by: exherald at October 24, 2003 12:40 PMWhile Ambassador Auditorium and its retro-chic 70s decor and perfect acoustics molds up in Pasadena. If you lexis/nexis the Times stories--"Ambassador" turns up about 3 times in all that sea of soy ink. But, as the Times is never in favor of preserving the old in favor of the new, why am I not surprised?
Posted by: Roberto at October 24, 2003 12:57 PMKMZT-FM is to be congratulated. The live broadcasts were excellent, expecially Friday (heard a little 'pumping' (technical term) on
Thurs "Rite of Spring")
Looking forward to Sat featuring film scores. Still annoyed, tho, at the Phil box office that charged my credit card on March 26 for a concert series that doesn't start until Oct. 30. Are they that desperate to raise cash?
Robert(o?) you are so right about the tragedy of the Ambassador. I can't blame it on the Times, however; the real problem apparently is, the City of Pasadena is indifferent to saving it, because it competes with the characterless Civic Auditorium. Very narrow minded of the City if this is true. But the Ambassador Auditorium could be the best sounding hall west of the Hudson, and it is deplorable that the place apparently won't be saved.
Posted by: joseph at October 26, 2003 01:46 PMAre the acoustics of the Ambassador really all that good? I don't recall its sound quality getting much attention in the media back when the hall had just opened and back when it still was a an active performing arts center.
And the Civic Aud, as far as I'm concerned, with its neo-classical architecture is hardly "characterless." By conrast, the Ambassador contains some really tacky design features, which reflect a bit of the polyester 1970s (the hall was built around that time).
Still, I think the Ambassador Aud should be saved, and it would be totally pathetic to see it torn down.
BTW, if anyone out there has seen some of the reviews in the national press about the new hall in downtown LA, it's been amazingly good and almost too good to be true. It's even dreamlike considering the spotty track record of many cultural projects in America over the past 40 yrs.
Posted by: T. Gramm at October 26, 2003 02:32 PMI attended the first First Nights event with Rite of Spring. Indeed, the seating is a little tight... made me think of cattle car class on an airplane. There is narration in the First Nights format and it was a hard to hear and I emailed the LA Phil and they emailed back saying they are working on it. And I've heard from some people who ponied up some big dollars to be at the galas also found that amplifed voice doesn't seem too clear. Stray noises from the audience is pretty noticible.
However, all was forgiven when the music to Rite of Spring started up! WOW! It felt like you were swimming in the sound! It is like listening to music with a great set of headphones.
Posted by: Rene at December 9, 2003 05:10 PM
of LA Observed
I was there for the rehearsal preview concert -- I wrote a fan letter to Frank Gehry and he sent me tickets -- cool, huh? Anyway, I thought the arrangement of seats was great. It is intimate. There literally are no bad seats in the place. And the acoustics are amazing -- in my opinion, the only double-edge sword. You can hear EVERYTHING. Every idiot near you turning off their cell mid-concert, every gum wrapper being crinkled. Of course, the music is all-the-better for it, so just hope you don't sit near any ill-mannered cretins.
Posted by: Amy Alkon at October 24, 2003 05:33 AM