In Friday’s (9/3) Boston Globe, David Weininger writes, “Would you shell out for a ticket at your local multiplex to be able to grab a box of Milk Duds, hunker down in a comfy seat, and watch a symphony concert? We may have gotten used to the idea of opera on movie screens, thanks to the popularity of the Metropolitan Opera’s series of live high-definition simulcasts, which began in late 2006. But recently, a more modest yet still intriguing venture has surfaced: broadcasting live symphony concerts onto movie-theater screens. The Philadelphia Orchestra announced last month that it had entered into an agreement with the digital broadcast provider SpectiCast to make nine of its concerts available in theaters this season. … Add to this the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s simulcast last week of its opening-night concert to theaters around Europe, and you have, at least potentially, a trend in the making. Will it be coming to a theater near you anytime soon? Probably not. Asked whether the Boston Symphony might consider pursuing such a plan, a BSO spokeswoman responded by e-mail: ‘We are in discussions about this, but are not at liberty to discuss details at this time.’ The Berlin simulcast seems to have been a one-shot deal, at least for now.”
Posted September 3, 2010
