Finally, a year of sonic boons

It’s not been a good year for advocates of what are called variable acoustics, by means of which a concert hall’s sound can be adjusted for different sonic purposes, often with costly and complicated high-tech help. One of the legacies of classical music in 2003 may be a swing of the pendulum back to simpler, if less adaptable, fixed acoustics.

To their advocates, among them the acoustical eminence Russell Johnson, variable acoustics let a wide variety of performances fit into a concert space, as at Dallas’ well-regarded Myerson Symphony Center.

But this year saw continuing tuning trouble with the Johnson-designed Verizon Hall in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. Opening night, in December 2001, was judged an acoustic disaster, and tuning took place until at least last winter.

At the same time, two of the most celebrated American openings were those of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Fisher Center at Bard College in New York state -- both with fixed acoustics by Yasuhisa Toyota.

In response, some are starting to worry about their new concert halls. Atlanta Journal-Constitution music critic Pierre Ruhe, for instance, recently wrote a piece suggesting that the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra learn from the success of Disney Hall as it designs its own ambitious new venue.

“Will [acoustician Lawrence Kirkegaard’s] unique movable ceiling (over an irregular bowl-shaped room) work?” Ruhe asked. “Will the acoustics be great at all configurations?”

Others have done more than wonder aloud: In September, the board behind Kansas City’s new performing arts center, which will include two new halls, replaced Johnson with Toyota, known for simple but effective sound designs with no moving parts.

Some acousticians -- a cautious lot by trade -- hint that the days of fancy Verizon-style halls may be numbered.

One man who isn’t worried is John Forsyte, who as president of the Pacific Symphony is looking forward to moving into a complex, high-tech, Johnson-engineered hall.

“No, there hasn’t been any talk about changing from variable acoustics here,” says Forsyte, referring to the 2,000-seat, $200-million Rene and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, scheduled to open in Costa Mesa in fall 2006. “I think it’s got 80 doors that have to be on motors, and an acoustic canopy that weighs several tons. It all requires a great deal of engineering, and an added expense.”

The Pacific Symphony’s hall, he said this month, needs variable acoustics because “our orchestra plays an extensive array of music. Our pops series this weekend has Doc Severinsen in a big band show, and we could have anything from chamber music to amplified music.

“And we may have to do that turnaround in one day.”

Some recent halls, Forsyte concedes, have had problems. But, he says, “Where you get into trouble is where the hall exceeds the recommended capacity. These failures have been unfairly blamed on variable acoustics. Clients who have adhered to Russell’s demands for size -- no more than 2,100 seats -- have been very satisfied.”