Concert venues

[Cosi bel do]

I saw no topic on concert venues, concert halls (and why not opera houses too). I thought it might be an interesting topic of discussion.
Just talk about your favourite venues, or the ones you are accustomed to because it's close, the ones you dream about, the new venues that open everywhere from Bordeaux to Stavanger...

[Cosi bel do]

In Paris since it was refurbished almost 10 years ago, the Salle Pleyel (built in 1927) really became an excellent venue, one of the best I know, with precise acoustics, short reverberation but no dryness.




Despite that, the bureaucrats and politicians here decided to build a giant Philharmonie in the north of Paris. In addition to rising costs, questions have been raised about its location (far from the traditional public), and the need for a new concert hall (with only 500 more seats, 2400 total). It's such a challenge that there's a legal dispute about what Pleyel should become after that, the (State-owned) Cité de la musique, an administration that owns the Philharmonie and Pleyel, wants to ban all kind of classical music in Pleyel to avoid any competition for the newer site.
Architect is Jean Nouvel. Opening in February 2015.




You can also go to concerts at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, where the season mixes concerts and staged operas. From its inauguration in 1913, this has been a very bourgeois place, not necessarily only rich people go there, but very conservative (and bad-mannered) ones. They booed the Sacre du printemps at the premiere in 1913, they applauded the (bad) recreation last year and then booed a new choreography by Sasha Waltz an hour later... I avoid it in general.




There is a other new concert hall that should open in a couple weeks, the new Auditorium of Radio France. It will become the new home of its two orchestras, the Orchestre national de France (currently playing most of the time at the TCE) and the Orchestre philharmonique de RF (currently at Pleyel). 1400 seats and it is very promising, seems warmer than the Philharmonie. I'll be able to test both venues during the season



Of course there also are the two venues of the Opéra de Paris (and concerts are held in both, too), and a smaller auditorium for chamber music at the Opéra Bastille too. And there are other venues, for smaller ensembles or chamber music : the Salle Gaveau, the auditorium Messiaen of Radio France, the Cité de la musique (which will merge with the Philharmonie and become Philharmonie 2 after its opening)...

Now, about my favourites, I guess I am not original at all. I'm not a fan of the heavy decoration but I find the acoustics of the Musikverein unchallenged.



By comparison, just to speak about "famous" venues, the Berlin Philharmonie is really not ideal I think. Seats behind the stage are really bad when it comes to sound (you hear the echo well after you expect it), and almost anywhere you have a lot of reverberation and a very fuzzy sensation anyway.

[Cosi bel do]

There is a other new concert hall that should open in a couple weeks, the new Auditorium of Radio France. It will become the new home of its two orchestras, the Orchestre national de France (currently playing most of the time at the TCE) and the Orchestre philharmonique de RF (currently at Pleyel). 1400 seats and it is very promising, seems warmer than the Philharmonie. I'll be able to test both venues during the season

At least this was the plan. It became a little too warm today, apparently the French radio is burning...

[jochanaan]

Oh dear!   Sorry to hear about the fire.  Is that the ORTF's home?

Here in Denver, we have Boettcher Concert Hall, which I have never thought among the best.  Sitting in the cheap seats behind the orchestra, I get a very skewed sound.  On the other hand, it gives me a chance to watch the conductor!  And when Marin Alsop was music director, she was more than worth watching.   There is also Gates Hall at the Denver University campus, and it's actually a very nice hall.  The new Ellie Caulkins opera house, in the same performing arts complex as Boettcher, is also good, as is Temple Buell Theater (where I've actually played, with Musica Sacra, a local chamber orchestra).

[some guy]

My favorites are abandoned factories.

Though the bars and coffee shops and embassies and living rooms and libraries and museums are also fine. After all, it's the music I'm there for, not the room.

But having said that, yeah, there's something special about an abandoned factory.

[Brian]

My favorites are abandoned factories.

Though the bars and coffee shops and embassies and living rooms and libraries and museums are also fine. After all, it's the music I'm there for, not the room.

But having said that, yeah, there's something special about an abandoned factory.

You're just saying that because you loved attending Eurovision 2014.

[Papy Oli]

At least this was the plan. It became a little too warm today, apparently the French radio is burning...

Quite eerie to listen to France Info during my lunchtime in the UK and hearing the broadcaster saying "oh the firemen have now entered our studio again, we have to evacuate a second time, we'll be back on air sometime soon".... 

Thread duty:

i love going to Snape Maltings, about 50 minutes away from here :

The main concert hall, about 800 seats :

Restaurant side :



Concert hall side, where the old maltings chimneys are :



inside the hall :





For the interval stroll, next to the hall :



They also have smaller 250-seat amphitheater, the Britten Studio :





Saw the Quatuor Mosaiques in this small hall, from the 5th or 6th row... mesmerizing....  0:)

[Cosi bel do]

Oh dear!   Sorry to hear about the fire.  Is that the ORTF's home?

It was, when the ORTF still existed more than 40 years ago

The ORTF was the name for the public administration of TV and radio in France, when all TV and radio channels were public and directly controlled by the government. Then it appeared that it was not really very democratic.
The Orchestre de l'ORTF changed its name and became Orchestre national de France around the same time but its home was, as I mentioned earlier, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, as there was no auditorium with the sufficient size.

Apparently the fire was more spectacular that really important, and only two stories of office and studio spaces, currently under refurbishment, were concerned. And no injuries, too

[Cosi bel do]

i love going to Snape Maltings, about 50 minutes away from here :

This is a place I'd like to go to one of these days. You could have recalled how Benjamin Britten the Aldeburgh Festival that takes place here

Also reminds me of La Grange de Meslay, near Tours, where Richter played a lot in his late years, and where the annual festival still gathers some of my favourite artists (including Elisso Virsaladze, Natalia Gutman...)





Never been yet

[Pat B]

You can also go to concerts at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, where the season mixes concerts and staged operas. From its inauguration in 1913, this has been a very bourgeois place, not necessarily only rich people go there, but very conservative (and bad-mannered) ones. They booed the Sacre du printemps at the premiere in 1913, they applauded the (bad) recreation last year and then booed a new choreography by Sasha Waltz an hour later... I avoid it in general.

That's a great story.

Glad to hear the fire was not too bad.

[Drasko]

Situation with concert venues in Belgrade is woeful.

City of million and a half has grand total of two concert venues and two opera scenes, and all four inadequate in some way.

Main venue for classical concerts is Kolarac Hall, where both Belgrade Phil. and Belgrade Radio Orchestra give their season concerts and where the majority of everything else takes place.
It's a nice hall, built in early 1930s has excellent acoustic - but for chamber music. With bit less than 900 seats it's too small, and not only because of the number of seats but orchestral musicians are crammed like sardines on stage and the tutti sound from full orchestra can't really bloom properly.
Still undoubtedly, and unfortunately, the best place to hear classical music in Belgrade.





Second hall is polar opposite, Large Hall of Sava Center is not purposely built for concerts. It's part of of huge congressional center built during communist time. It's a 3500 seated barn with no acoustics to speak of. I avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately most of big name guest orchestras play there (Concertgebouw, LSO ...)





National Theatre is the home venue of Belgrade Opera and Ballet. It's lovely mid 19th century theatre, good acoustics, but again with 700-800 seats and pretty narrow stage way too small for its purpose.



Chamber Opera Madlenianum is the most recent and up to date venue, opened some ten years ago, privately owned. But again quite small and pretty far from city center, in Zemun which used to be a town on its own.



Talks of building a new opera house have been going (with no results) since 1930s. Belgrade Philharmonic started recently a Foundation with one of its purposes building a new concert hall. In state of present economy I don't see any of that coming to fruit in any foreseeable future.     

[pjme]

Belgium has some good concerthalls.

The most famous one is of course the Salle Henri Leboeuf in Brussels.



It seats ca 2200 people and the acoustics have been much improved over the years. The organ is silent since many years. It is being restored, but very slowly ... money is short.

The former radiobuilding on Flagey square houses an excellent concerthall: Studio 4 - many musicians record there ( Maisky, Argerich, Brussels Phil etc.) . The huge Art deco building was saved "in extremis" ( ca 1998).



Studio 4 is located in one of the first radio broadcasting buildings in the world, the Maison de la Radio Flagey. Designed by the architect Joseph Diongre, Maison de la Radio Flagey first opened in 1938 and immediately cultivated an international reputation for excellence. The complex houses five studios altogether, and reopened in 2002 after a massive restoration.

The 900-seat Studio 4 has been transformed into a concert hall for orchestras of all sizes, from chamber to symphony. Everything has been done to restore the exceptional acoustical qualities of this hall, without compromising its historical character. Three balconies at the back of the hall, and a lateral balcony on one level, have been added. A system of motorized acoustic banners was installed along the sidewalls to create flexibility to adapt the hall for varied musical needs. This adjustability has been further improved by a reconfiguration of the stage and the orchestra riser system. The rake of the main floor has been reworked in order to improve both sightlines and acoustics. Acoustic isolation has been improved to allow for simultaneous use of all five studios.

Studio 4 serves as the prime recording studio and concert hall for the Flemish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The reputation of the acoustical quality of Studio 4 was always, and continues to be, excellent. The phrase "Live from Studio 4 of the Maison de la Radio" is, for Belgian musical lovers, synonymous with classical music radio transmissions of the highest quality level. The grand organ does not function...

Artec provided Design and Planning services covering Auditorium Acoustics Design and Background Noise and Vibration Control consulting for this renovation project.

Bruges is proud of its Concertgebouw:





Ghent has a superb music site : de Bijloke, a former hospital whose history dates back to the 13th century.



Antwerp awaits the opening of the completely new Queen Elisabeth hall in 2016- the old building has been torn down. The location is quite exceptional: next to  the Central station and the Zoo (!!)




A wonderful hall in Antwerp : AMUZ

[paulsp]

This I can agree with.  The acoustics in the Goldener Saal are truly remarkable, sustaining and pin-sharp, the best I've ever heard.  Unfortunately, in almost every other respect (cramped seats / poor sightlines / no facilities) the Musikverein falls well short of the best, which overall can make for a frustrating experience.  The Wiener Konzerthaus, for example, is also not bad acoustically, and for my money makes for a better evening out when considered as a total package, all else being equal.

Of all the concert halls I've been in, the one which rates highest on my personal scale is the Brucknerhaus in Linz:



This image is two photos stitched together, taken from the worst seat in the house.  Which is to say: there are no bad seats. 

Acoustically it is superb: designed like the inside of a loudspeaker, with baffles across the ceiling and staggered reflector arrays across the back wall to break up reflections and standing waves, while those rectangular grids on the walls are actually the mouths of resonating chambers set into the walls to add life back into the acoustic.  The seating is spacious and comfortable even for a big bloke like me, access and car parking are excellent, as are the facilities - there's even a decent bar (a rarity for a concert hall in this part of the world.)  Not to mention, the Danube alongside for a pleasant stroll on a fine evening.

Favourite venue in London is the (relatively new) King's Place:



Not large enough for a full orchestra, but excellent acoustics with great access / facilities / seating - kind of like a civilised version of the Wigmore Hall.

I've not visited King's Place  but my favourite London venue is without question Cadogan Hall which has quite simply some of the finest acoustics I've ever heard.   The stage is just large enough to accomodate a full orchestra and I think it seats around 950, the balcony is very uncomfortable but the stalls are great with a good rake for a very good view of the performers.    It's quite pathetic that as one of the World's most important music centres, London does not have a major concert hall that compares acoustically with many from other cities of lesser importance.

[MishaK]

There's a nice gallery of the acoustically best halls in the world in the Süddeutsche Zeitung today in context with the debate over renovation/replacement of the acoustically horrible Philhamonie am Gasteig in Munich.

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/die-besten-konzertsaele-der-welt-hier-drin-spielt-die-musik-1.2339789

[MellisaLagos]

Those pics are so nice and sorry for the fire...

[MishaK]

Main venue for classical concerts is Kolarac Hall, where both Belgrade Phil. and Belgrade Radio Orchestra give their season concerts and where the majority of everything else takes place.
It's a nice hall, built in early 1930s has excellent acoustic - but for chamber music. With bit less than 900 seats it's too small, and not only because of the number of seats but orchestral musicians are crammed like sardines on stage and the tutti sound from full orchestra can't really bloom properly.
Still undoubtedly, and unfortunately, the best place to hear classical music in Belgrade.

My great-grandfather's brother was the architect of that hall! ;-)