In Monday’s (8/13) Australian (Melbourne), Eamonn Kelly writes, “As interesting as aesthetic modifications and enhanced amenities may be, it is the modified acoustics of the refurbished Hamer Hall that classical audiences have been waiting to assess. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s homecoming concert—featuring Mahler’s monumental Symphony No 3, with charismatic former chief conductor Markus Stenz—was an ideal test of both orchestra and auditorium. From the circle, the change was immediately apparent. Acoustic consultants Marshall Day and Lawrence Kirkegaard have managed a minor engineering miracle. … The acoustic is focused, bright, naturalistic and responsive across a vast dynamic range. Gone is the slightly dull, washy sound and the sense of distance from the action. … The symphonic textures of Thomas Ades’s Polaris—a contemporary tribute to the ancient ties between maritime navigation and star constellations—were revealed with a clarity comparable to the world’s great symphony halls. … The Mahler was the supreme sampler of symphonic colours and contrasts, featuring augmented orchestral forces, MSO Chorus ladies, the National Boys Choir and Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill.”
Posted August 15, 2012
