What are the best seats in the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam).

Started by AB68, April 17, 2007, 02:46:42 PM

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AB68

I am taking my mother and friend to Amsterdam in June to hear Mitsuko Uchida playing Mozart's piano concerto no. 25 with the Royal Concertgebouw under Mariss Jansons.
As usual in the Concertgebouw I could not get tickets so that we can sit toghether, but I want my mother to have the best seat, because it's her first time there.
The tickets I have are the following:
Voorzaal Zuid, row 12, seat 34
Voorzaal Zuid, row 28, seat 40
Voorzaal Noor, row 3, seat 1

Which one og those seats offer the best view? Sonically I would think all the seats in that hall is good. I have never been on the main floor in the Concertgebouw before, but the seats there seem to have limited views, am I right?

bhodges

First of all, you are going to have a great time! 

Here is a link to the seating plan on their website (which you may have already seen).  On the floor, the sightlines are just fine, except for a very few seats that are behind a column.  And you are correct: the sound is excellent pretty much everywhere. 

Concertgebouw main floor plan (PDF file)

But of the seats you have, I think the best one is the first one, Row 12, Seat 34.  It's not too close, yet further in the center of the hall.  The second seat does appear to be slightly behind one of those columns, and the third choice is all the way up front, all the way to the right.  (I sat there for a concert a few years ago and actually enjoyed the profile view of Riccardo Chailly at work.)  So the first seat looks like the best of the three. 

Did I mention you're going to have a great time?   ;D

--Bruce

MishaK

Bruce beat me to posting the link to the seating plan.  >:(

Anyway, I agree with Bruce, the row 12 seat is the best. It's also a bit to the left, so you can see the pianist's fingers. The row 3 seat should be just as fine acoustically, though you might not be able to see everything in the brass and woodwinds through the jungle of string players.  The row 28 seat is the least optimal of the lot. It seems the seat is under the overhang of the balcony, which even in the Concertgebouw I would imagine is coupled with a slight loss of reverb. I have never sat back there myself. Maybe someone else can confirm.

AB68

Thank you both. I'll give my mother thye row 12 seat, and take the 28 myself. I always want to give the people I am with the best experience. I have seen Mitsuko Uchida in concert before, she is an incredibly carismativ artist.
Yes, I know I am going to have a great time. I love the Concertgebouw, such an amazing concert hall. The acoustic is superb.