[Randolf711]

I saved the worst for last. LA opera's Disney home sounds like ass. I would rather be chained to a 24 hour ride on “Its a Small World, After All” without a box cutters for relief. The old Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was soooooooooooooooo much better.

Why do you think that is? I have been many times and enjoy the LA Phil but anytime there are singers it isn’t as impressive.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I haven't heard any opera at Disney Hall, but I haven't disliked the orchestral concerts I've seen there.

 

[Balthazar B]

Before I rush off to California Schiit, let me hasten to add a few comments on opera houses, mostly good as well as bad. Please note I am not a FLIO (Fan of light Italian Opera) to speak of. My opera world revolves around mostly Wagner and Richard Strauss. Oops, forgot Mozart.

Mecca=Bayrueth although the hidden orchestra makes me feel I am watching a New York Broadway show.

Amazing sounding Santa Fe. Outside with few walls.

The Met has variable sound and visiblity.

Vienna Staatsoper has a really good sound, and a less stilted norm of patrons. No broomsticks up their ass like Berlin or Paris. Neither are there sandwich munchers or farters like Milan.

I saved the worst for last. LA opera's Disney home sounds like ass. I would rather be chained to a 24 hour ride on “Its a Small World, After All” without a box cutters for relief. The old Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was soooooooooooooooo much better.

The first Beta switchers for Urd will really be shipping next week. More on that in the next post.

Thanks for the note on Vienna. Sounds like we should add it to our have-yet-to-visit destination list.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Current Wagner plans for me are tannhauser in la and Meistersinger in New York, both this November.

Interestingly my first Wagner opera was the old rated R tannhauser from 2006.

 

[Baldr]

This post is just a clarification of my Disney Hall in LA comments. First, let me say I am a huge fan not only of Gustavo Dudamel, but of the LA Philharmonic as well as the LA Opera. I think they both strike a fantastic balance of artistic and technical achievement. For those of us who have heard both in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the opening of the Disney hall was an acoustic disappointment. Please construe my comments directed solely at the venue.

 

[filthy mechanical]

This post is just a clarification of my Disney Hall in LA comments. First, let me say I am a huge fan not only of Gustavo Dudamel, but of the LA Philharmonic as well as the LA Opera. I think they both strike a fantastic balance of artistic and technical achievement. For those of us who have heard both in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the opening of the Disney hall was an acoustic disappointment. Please construe my comments directed solely at the venue.

That venue used to double as a villan's lair too with the reflective concave panels - seems designers can't seem to learn that highly reflective exteriors facing south-ish in a concave shape like to make heat rays.

 

[johnjen]

Dudamel is one exceptionally fine conductor.
I was flabbergasted the 1st time I heard him with the Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, stunning, just stunning…

JJ

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Most of my acoustic disappointment these days is directed at Davies Hall. The war memorial is such a superior space. Only the premier orchestra seats in Davies sound halfway good, and those are $75 a ticket - more than is feasible for most folks on a regular basis.

I hope Salonen conducts some serious Wagner next door. A cycle of the whole corpus would be a global classical music event—and we are coming up on the 150 anniversary of the Ring.

 

[433521]

With the great discovery (unison) we'd all love it if you'd somehow allow us to connect a hard drive and also a network switch to the Urd or maybe a later Urb Maximus. We know you guys hate software but maybe this could be done without the hassles of upgrading software constantly. Simple device, simple firmware?

Unless you plan on licensing unison to some highend audio companies before it's stolen overseas.

 

[Randolf711]

This post is just a clarification of my Disney Hall in LA comments. First, let me say I am a huge fan not only of Gustavo Dudamel, but of the LA Philharmonic as well as the LA Opera. I think they both strike a fantastic balance of artistic and technical achievement. For those of us who have heard both in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the opening of the Disney hall was an acoustic disappointment. Please construe my comments directed solely at the venue.

I didn’t think you were being negative about La Phil or Opera. I didn’t move to the LA area until the 2000s so I have never heard the orchestra at Dorothy. I’m just kind of curious what happened with the acoustics. When you go there, they always tell you the acoustics were made such that you can sit in any seat and get the same auditory experience. Maybe that design intention came with drawbacks? I’m no expert but the WDCH definitely has a tonal characteristic. When I listen to the LA Phil Live recordings (“La Mer” and the Dvorak), you can hear the hall. Maybe this is a bad thing? I love the orchestra and Dudamel. They do a wonderful job in the community, performing new works, and educational endeavors (I’m a school Orchestra teacher and have many field trips with my students there).

 

[artur9]

My daughter brought up Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Anyone been?

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Yes, it is extremely difficult to get tickets but the productions, acoustics, and experience are generally very good. You bring a picnic and eat it on the grounds, which are beautiful. I think I bought a Giulio Cesare for like £200--tickets are not cheap--not including train down and back to London.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I still need to put my speakers on either side of the upright piano, even with my TV plans being shelved for the moment. Do people prefer speaker stands or floating shelves for powered monitors?

 

[rkw]

Do people prefer speaker stands or floating shelves for powered monitors?

Floating shelves? Do you mean mounted to the wall? Generally you want to have speakers away from the wall. Would you put the speakers against the wall even with stands?

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Yeah, it’s not a huge condo, sf being what it is