Classical Notes: October 29, 2008 Archive

Video in the Concert Hall?

Posted at 7:00 AM on October 29, 2008 by Gillian Martin (1 Comments)

I often find video screens at live events distancing--why go to a performance or athletic event live if you're still watching it on TV? But music critic Andrew Adler thinks they work pretty well for the Louisville (that's LOO-uh-vll) Symphony, and thinks that a new development called "Bird's Eye Technology" could really enhance the audience's experience:

While [pianist Lang Lang] was performing with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County in California, he employed what's dubbed "Bird's Eye Technology" -- in which a camera mounted on the ceiling gives the audience a close-up, overhead view of Lang's fingers as they dash up and down the keyboard.

Consider how this particular video application might change the habits of listeners in the hall. Rather than jockeying for seats on the left side of the auditorium -- the better to see a pianist's hands -- they could sit anywhere they'd like and still have a perfect view of those fabulous fingers.

Read more here.

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