In Wednesday’s (6/15) Montreal Gazette, Arthur Kaptainis writes, “The province opened the doors of Montreal’s long-awaited concert hall on Tuesday and the sound was horrendous. Buzz saws, sanders and the incessant hammering of hard-hat workers created a din above which chief architect Jack Diamond could scarcely be heard. ‘We’ll work like hell to get that done,’ Diamond said of the mock organ piping that will function as a vivid sculpture above the stage. (The Casavant instrument will not be installed before 2013.) Everyone appeared to be working like heck to ready Quebec’s poshest public-private partnership for its opening on Sept. 7 by the [Montreal Symphony Orchestra] under Kent Nagano. … From the perspective of the concrete and still-seatless floor, the interior looks larger than its maximum capacity of 2,100 listeners would suggest. Nearby Salle Wilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts accommodates a shade under 3,000. There are three balconies, each with relatively minimal overhang—one of many acoustic considerations. The top gallery looks steep, but Diamond says that even high-altitude customers will enjoy excellent sightlines. … Every measure—starting from the modified shoebox design—has been taken to optimize the sonic environment.”
Posted June 16, 2011
