 |
 |
On Mon, 10 Apr 2006, Mike Richter wrote: > My understanding is that they know why the great halls are great, but > reproducing one is economically out of the question - too much money per > seat. The solution today is to use electronics which can be tuned to > simulate a fine hall; the results have been debatable even when a highly > sophisticated setup has been set up by experts. I believe that there are a few success stories, but, as in the case of Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center...I am reminded of a cartoon in the New Yorker...as I recall it pictured a dumpster filled with building material and two people walking by. I think the caption read, "Well here we go again." As for the electronic "sound reinforcement..." I was amused the other day when one of our TV announcers referred to the superb acoustic in our major concert hall. I was amazed he did not know that there is no natural acoustic in that hall and it is all done through electronics. I informed him and suggested he take a tour of the hall...he was amazed. I sincerely wonder if most of us listen closely enough to be able to tell the difference...so it might as well be "memorex." I have often wondered if organizations that usually make use of musicians (opera, symphony, ballet, etc.) might not save some money by just using canned music and hiring a bunch of non-musicians, dressing them up in suits, loaning them fake instruments and having them make believe they are playing... Karl