yk

Yes, AnnMarie. And it's quite beautiful inside too.

china_cat

AnnMarie, its actually kind of funny, because no one really knows WHY its almost acoustically perfect. There's a bit of a mystery in getting a concert hall exactly right (there was much ado when Avery Fisher Hall opened in Lincoln Center some years ago because it really did not have very good acoustics). So because they don't know, the BSO is basically petrified to make any changes. They don't want to recover the old wooden chairs, or change the flooring or stuff like that. They've managed to do some renovations, but its incredibly difficult.

yk

They did replace the padding of the chairs this past summer. The chairs are >100 years old, and I believe the original fillings were horsehair and very lumpy. Many paddings have been changed over the years but not a total overhaul, so this past summer all paddings of the chairs were changed, but the size & seat cover material remains the same. The floorboard is original.

One complaint I have is that the hall isn't insulated from outside noise. Of course, when it was built, it was horse carriages going down the streets outside. However, fast-forward 100 year: now being on Mass Ave and just a few blocks from the Boston Medical Center, I hear ambulance sirens at almost every concert.

china_cat

yk, I didn't know they finally did the chairs. They've been discussing it for 10 years, I think.

AnnMarie_C

Well, I'll be darned, that is funny and most curious! Thanks for the info china_cat.

yk, I'll think of you when the sirens blare

yk

I should say that I'm not 100% sure that the chairs did get replaced this past summer. I took a guided tour of the Symphony Hall back in the spring, and the docent told me that was the plan for the summer when BSO goes to Tanglewood.

I've been to 2 concerts so far this 09-10 season, and honestly, I can't tell if the padding feels new or not.