tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post7964394141921244360..comments2024-03-16T06:23:29.917-07:00Comments on The Reverberate Hills; or The Apotheosis of the Narwhal: Beethoven waves us offPatrick J. Vazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-62881202261466784602012-07-20T08:11:42.779-07:002012-07-20T08:11:42.779-07:00A few years ago I did write a haiku about hipster ...A few years ago I did write a haiku about hipster hats. Does that count? I'm afraid my scrupulous syllable counts would not allow for the elision.<br /><br />Very interesting about the Corcoran. You know, all the times I've been to DC, I think I've only been there once, maybe twice. I haven't been to the Phillips that often either but it's always in my mind as a possible destination. For me it's just a matter of being more interested in what other DC museums have compared to the Corcoran (which is mostly 19th century American art? but it couldn't be just that if you're seeing Diebenkorn there). OK, I guess I will check it out again next time I'm in DC. When I can afford to travel again.<br /><br />I know the Asian has had some serious financial problems, but then so have we all, and though it is the trend I think making the galleries inhospitable to people who actually want (as you put it) quiet time with art is really the wrong direction to go in.Patrick J. Vazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-34144943521193965192012-07-20T07:50:06.200-07:002012-07-20T07:50:06.200-07:00I'd like to request a haiku with the middle li...I'd like to request a haiku with the middle line of "hipster-douchebag-asshatt'ry." Or I'd like to open a shop with said name. <br /><br />Your comments about the Asian Art Museum remind me of the debate here over the fate and faults of the Corcoran Art Gallery. Apparently, it's one of the only private museums in DC (unlike Phillips, let's say) that hasn't been able to sustain interest, members, or donations. (I did just join again to spend some quiet time with Diebenkorn, though.)<b>Shushu</b>https://www.blogger.com/profile/06883124489703202706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-39770238730380668882012-07-18T08:11:01.686-07:002012-07-18T08:11:01.686-07:00I know people think I only sit in the front row, b...I know people think I only sit in the front row, but I have sat all over that hall, and this same problem happens all over. I have sat in the rows you recommend, and have had the same cramped experience. The experience I described here was worse than usual, but was by no means unusual.<br /><br />And please note that those seats you recommend are significantly more expensive than the first few rows.<br /><br />Your faith in the ushers is touching. The ones I come across are sweet but often don't even know the hall set-up as well as I do. I could have gone to the box office, I suppose, and tried to switch tickets, which is aggravating and potentially expensive, but since I didn't see any seats available anyway, I have to wonder what the point would have been, unless I wanted to be crammed in some corner somewhere in order to accommodate someone who should have bought himself two seats to start with. Sometimes sucky things just happen and that's that. They just seem to happen in Davies more often than anywhere else. When it comes down to choosing between different types of misery, I might as well save my money and my time and spare myself the misery and listen to music at home.Patrick J. Vazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-311381252784971952012-07-17T22:02:32.649-07:002012-07-17T22:02:32.649-07:00The situation was the same on Saturday night when ...The situation was the same on Saturday night when I attended. If there was a seat free anywhere, the ushers could have found out.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-75664971378981022812012-07-17T22:01:23.168-07:002012-07-17T22:01:23.168-07:00Just to clarify: I have frequently moved to differ...Just to clarify: I have frequently moved to different seats in Davies if there was a problem with my first seat and there was a better one available near me. As I stated in my entry, there were no empty seats anywhere near me. These were the last concerts of the centennial season and so the hall was packed.Patrick J. Vazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-54842284896267313442012-07-17T21:58:18.195-07:002012-07-17T21:58:18.195-07:00In this situation, you had a choice between two di...In this situation, you had a choice between two different types of miserable: a worse seat or being crunched in your chosen seat. <br /><br />I've mentioned before that seat sizes vary all over Davies: we were explicitly told at one point that the seats in the 2nd tier are larger than those in the orchestra. And I know that seats in the orchestra vary somewhat in size.<br /><br />You might consider trying out a range of seats when you get there early and see which seem more comfortable to you. I know you want to be in the front row, but having sat all over the orchestra in the last year, I can safely say that the sound is pretty good just about everywhere I sat. I would suggest trying rows H through T.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-30754248176967303152012-07-17T21:55:07.649-07:002012-07-17T21:55:07.649-07:00Based on my fairly consistent experience in Davies...Based on my fairly consistent experience in Davies, I doubt there is an adequate solution. What are they going to do, throw the fat guy out? Why should I have to move (to what is most likely another terrible seat, or one that's terrible in a different way) because of someone else?<br /><br />Yeah, I'm paying for my pleasure, and my pleasure was to hear Beethoven. There was nothing wrong with the performance, it was the terrible design of that awful hall, and my bad luck. But I almost always feel crammed in there unless there's an empty seat beside me. Why should I lose my time and money because Davies is a terrible hall?Patrick J. Vazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-5498401459871076372012-07-17T21:40:52.706-07:002012-07-17T21:40:52.706-07:00"I think only once before in my whole concert..."I think only once before in my whole concert-going life have I left before the house-lights were turned up, and that was after a very long opera when I would otherwise have missed the last train." <br /><br />We certainly are two very different kinds of birds. I have been walking out of performances most of my life. A bad or mediocre live performance can be excruciating for me, and is a reminder of the worst and most boring parts of church endured as a child. I LOVE walking out of shows simply because I can, which is why I'm very careful about asking for press tickets to anything I am doubtful about. If I'd been going through your particular Davies Hall experience, I'd certainly not have stuck it out through a very long symphony. You're paying for your pleasure, man. Feel free to take it and/or leave it.Civic Centerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12362422142667230626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22361479.post-52566302173519820112012-07-17T21:40:22.114-07:002012-07-17T21:40:22.114-07:00This is the kind of situation where you might cons...This is the kind of situation where you might consult an usher during the intermission. They have seen these issues and may have a solution.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.com