Erica and I went to Walt Disney Concert Hall last night as audience members at its first concert recital, pianist Evgeny Kissin. Kissin was fantastic, probably the best pianist in the world. He played five encores. If you get a chance to hear him - take it. If you don't have one of his CDs - get one.
More importantly, the Hall itself is a miracle. You have seen the photos, I'm sure - if not, take a look now - so I will not go into detail on that front. As a performance space, though, know that there is not a bad seat in the place. The audience wraps completely around the stage, and even the nose-bleed seats have distinct advantages - for instance, better views of the performer(s), not to mention the entire audience. Erica and I were about 60 feet above the stage, behind and slightly to the left, and we could see Evgeny's fingers hit every note. The acoustics of the Hall are like something out of Fantastic Voyage - you feel as if space has been shrunk, or your ears ten-times magnified, with the slightest aural details individually perceptible. When any given audience member coughs, you can (if you choose) take a moment to determine exactly who it was. While the music is playing, you feel a very powerful urge to remain frozen in place, lest the creaking of your seat or the cracking of your knuckles disturb the performer's concentration ("You there - three rows from the back! Stop sniffling!").
The LA Phil has taken it up a notch too, in all respects. During one of the NPR broadcasts, they played an excerpt from one of the flutists, who said, "It's a bit scary. I'll be playing the same music, with the same flute, but it's supposed to sound a whole lot better." Well, the very good news is that it does.
P.S. Streaming audio of the three Gala Opening Concerts is available here.
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