Eastman Theatre Acoustics
Circa
1920’s, 1950’s/60’s, 1972, 2004, & 2008/9
Stirring the Soup
Dedicated to the respected acoustics of the original Eastman Theatre in its prime
…and to the possibility of their restoration.
September 07,
2008
“You have definitely
laid the problem out and have suggested a direction to consider. I am
interested in seeing how this develops.”
- Leo Beranek
Eastman-Rochester Orchestra onstage to accompany a silent film during the
1920's.
In this era the sound of the Eastman Theatre was
universally admired.
This is possibly as close as the Eastman Theatre ever came to a 'thrust stage.' The orchestra is thrust forward with no ceiling immediately above it. The wall angles of the set appear to match the house wall angles (not visible) and their topography provides highly variegated near-reflections to the musicians. This is a vastly different set-up than at present with the 2004 shell. Was this set-up retained, essentially, for the once-weekly classical concerts?
Table of Contents
A Note about
the Anonymous Quotations
A Statement
of Appreciation and Purpose
Letter: EASTMAN THEATRE: Renovations won't fix the acoustics
3) Mercury,
Hendl, and a Dearth of Logic
6) A
Broad-Based Discovery Process for 2008
8) The
Eastman Theatre vs. Severance Hall
9) Severance
Hall 2000: Conserving a Pre-Existing Silk Purse
10) The
Eastman Theatre 2004: The Crux of the Matter, and a Proposed Solution
---Saving
Classical Music on the Mezzanine---
12) Loudness
vs. Musical Accuracy
13)
Numerical Reduction in Seating vs. Reduced Total Volume of the Theatre
14) The
Balcony at the Eastman Theatre
15) A Thrust
Stage at Eastman?
16) Function
Funneled into Form
17) Slapback
Redux and a Final Note about Those Box Seats
19) A Note
about Humidity, Instruments, and Sound at Eastman