After 2 years of renovations, the David Geffen Hall, which houses the Orchestra New York Philharmonic (Phil) since 1962 at Lincoln Center, will once again welcome training led by Jaap van Zweden and his audience from 8 October, four days before the start of the 2022/2023 season.
David Geffen Hall’s renovation cost nearly $ 550 million
The setting of the David Geffen Hall from August marks a homecoming for the New York Philharmonic. The oldest American musical institution, created in 1842, whose hall has been under renovation for 2 years and which has had to perform in other spaces of Lincoln Center since the reopening of the concert halls after the confinements. This large-scale work will have cost nearly $ 550 million and mobilized more than 600 workers and technicians who have worked steadily on the site.
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With 2 weeks left, it’s time for the final adjustments for the musicians and their instruments. But also for the acoustic specialists who are putting the finishing touches to the walls and ceilings of David Geffen Hall. ” It’s a bit like going on a sound safari. It’s really about reinventing the sound of the orchestra “explains Jaap van Zweden, Phil’s conductor and music director. According to him, the dated design of David Geffen Hall contributed little to good acoustics.
Lincoln Center is home to the New York Philharmonicthe Met Opera and the New York City Ballet
The walls were clad in beech wood to support the room’s low frequencies, says Acoustics Chief Paul Scarbrough. Another novelty: a modular acoustic canopy. ” We were able to fine-tune both the amount of energy returned to the musicians on stage (…) and the amount directed to the audience “says Paul Scarbrough. The acoustics have been tested and adjusted with different musical works, to bring out the best ” different colors, textures, stamps and layers of instruments “, He adds. Sure, the refurbishment reduces the seating capacity from 2,738 to 2,200, but visibility will be improved and some spectators will be placed behind the orchestra, whose stage has been moved slightly forward to enhance the surround effect.
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The first meeting of New York Philharmonic in the David Geffen Hall it will take place on Saturday 8 October, with 2 performances of San Juan Hill: A History of New York. This show composed by trumpeter Etienne Charles tells the life of the African American, Caribbean and Puerto Rican communities who lived in the Upper West Side district before the massive urban renewal operation that saw the birth of Lincoln Center, one of the artistic centers of Manhattan. The Met Opera and the New York City Ballet also perform there. The official season kicks off on 12 October with the world premiere ofOiaby the Brazilian Marcos Balter, to be directed by Jaap van Zweden.
Philippe Gault (with AFP)
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