Last night I went to a small local concert and I noticed that there were no people sitting in the first two rows. I would think that one would want to sit there to see and hear the music better, but they were completely empty. Any reason why? TIA
Frequently it’s one of two things:
- VIP seating. Whether used or not it’s there.
- Photographers row. For those newsies who need close-ups.
What’s the hall like? Do people in the front row have to sit looking up at the stage? If so, I’d say that’s the reason. Those sorts of seats are pretty unpopular and are usually the last to sell.
I’ve found that, in some halls, being right up front means the music travels over your head. In my home town, the very best seats for getting the fullest sound (even according to the local critics) were front mezzanine.
It depends on what sort of group is performing. If you’re listening to a large ensemble, like a symphony orchestra, those are the worst seats in the house. You can’t see any of the musicians except the ones in front, and you’re only hearing select instruments, not the ensemble as a whole. If it’s something visual, like an opera or ballet, there are entire areas of the stage that you can’t see. And your neck starts to hurt.
And personally, if I’m in one of the front rows, I get a little self-conscious if the performers can see me that closely (especially if I start nodding off).
Sometimes if you’re too near the front, you don’t hear a balanced ‘mix’ of sound - if you sit in the middle of the auditorium, you’re more or less equally distant from all of the instruments in the orchestra; if you sit in the front row, the instruments in the end sections might be three or four times the distance away from you as the instruments in the centre section.
It’s a mixed blessing, in my experience. If you are over to one side, you’ll hear the speakers on that side. In one hall, I never saw the keyboard player at all from my angle. You’ll get a stiff neck looking sideways. On the other hand, being right in front of a bank of speakers gives you an extra experience; the pressure waves from the music actually thump on your chest. As a chemically assisted 20-something, I was thrilled to bits. As a 50-something with continuous ringing in my ears, I see it differently.
In the center third in the first few rows, you’re close enough to see the musicians joking around on stage. You can see the brand and model of their instruments. If the band is in the habit of shaking hands with the audience, that’s you. If they like to throw autographed guitar picks or hats, you get one. If you’re into tossing flowers, hotel keys, or panties onstage, you are in the right place. You won’t get the best sound, though. At a rock or jazz concert, the best sound in the house is near the sound technician’s bench. He’s tweaked everything to suit his ears at that spot.
In a venue where smoking is allowed, the smoke will gather at some level, like smog over a city. If you are sitting at that level, you’ll be breathing the smoke, whether you smoke or not. Depending on the kind of crowd, you may well get stoned from it.
I’ve played in various symphonies over the years (Clarinets) and the sound of the total orchestra from my hearing vantage point was excellent. Err… sometimes the brass behind us (not to mention the percussion) was a bit overpowering, but ususally one’s to preoccupied to let it bother you.
But basically, the overall sound of the orchestra was great.