BEST SEAT IN CONCERT HALL
Where is the best seat in a concert hall? I've heard that near the back is best as far as the sound goes, but the front seats are always sold out first... Or is it best to sit behind the orchestra so that you could see the conductor?
Replies (11)
At our local orchestra house it is the middle balcony, but under msot circumstances I agree with Lydia.
Depends on the kind of concert too. With chamber music concerts, I always like to sit close up to see everything the musicians do. I agree with Lydia, the back seats often sound the best.
Much depends on taste. At Boston's Symphony Hall, I like the balcony halfway back on the side. Closer to the stage, you see more and get more of a buzz from being close to the action. In the center of the balcony (i.e., nearer the back of the hall), you get a more blended sound.
Supposedly Seiji Ozawa, who could always get his fill of listening on the podium, liked the very back row of the second balcony center.
The best seat is concertmaster's!
Second best is 2nd violin's principal.
The farther back you sit, the more the sound of the sections merge together. I prefer the front row left of center; I can hear each section clearly and watch the soloist. My locations is also the cheapest! Such a deal.
I disagree with Rocky. The best seat is the principal 2nd's, assuming that they are next to the firsts. You basically hear what the conductor hears. :-)
Sometimes the Violin II sections can be too close to the wind section. Some have to wear ear plugs.
You really want there to be acoustic shields, too...
I remember from a book I read that generally the best sound is the very back of the first or second balcony. I always sit on the first balcony just left of center. Basically where the most expensive seats are... :(
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April 12, 2017 at 03:16 AM · It depends on the size and acoustics of an individual hall, and to some degree, personal preference.
I prefer center, or center-slightly-to-the-left seats in the first couple of rows when I watch violinists (whether in concertos or in recitals). But for pure orchestra concerts, center and a little farther back, or sometimes front of the first balcony, is often best.