We went to hear a string quartet yesterday in the new Long Performing Arts Center. It's not really new, but built out of the remains of the old Palmer auditorium. They re-used 97% of the old building to make the new one, so the old 70's earth-tone color scheme dominates. Comparisons end there.
The reformulated structure defies any architectural standard. It's improbable design stems from a desire to preserve something of the old building, which was state of the art when it was built, but had been relegated to hosting arts and crafts shows. What was once a grand structure had become banal.
Enter the arts community, stage left. They needed a venue other than the God-awful Bass Concert Hall, which they were going to have decreasing access to, anyway. They got together and made a bid to transform the aging gentleman into a chic, young runway model.
After more than 10 years of waiting, we finally have our place (quite literally) in the sun. The view from the donors' lounge is one of the finest you'll find of downtown from anywhere. And the acoustics in the Dell Hall are perfect, as reported. When the lady who introduced the string quartet came out on stage, her mike wasn't working. She said, "Is this on?" Someone shouted back, "You don't need it."
We were sitting in the top of the first balcony, and we could hear her just fine.
The performance was not miked at all, and for chamber music to be vibrant in a big hall, somebody got something right. A lot of somethings, if you think about it.
I was mesmerized, even from the Mezzanine. I could hear them better than I could see them.
But I didn't go there to look at them, any way.
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