Roger Hecht wrote:

>Didn't George Szell, while conducting his first rehearsal of an orchestra
>(maybe the NYP) in Fisher Hall, lay down his baton after a few minutes and
>say, "Tear it down"?

Part of his response to another lister who had written also:

>In order for an orchestra to play well together the musicians have to be
>able to hear well what the other members are playing.  The sound on the
>stage at Fisher doesn't allow this on a consistent basis.

In June 1965** I spent a week at the Vienna Festival (taking in 6 operas)
but a midday concert was with the Cleveland/Szell.  A day or so before
the concert we met a couple of members of the orchestra in the grounds
at Schonbrunn and they said Szell was having much trouble balancing the
orchestra in the Musikverein and that throughout the rehearsals he'd had
someone standing at the back of the hall.

Ever since then I have wondered why everyone describes this hall as
super-perfect if the great Szell himself didn't (apparently) find it
so or had to work so hard to make it so?!  Obviously travelling puts a
certain strain on the players as acoustics vary so much from hall to hall.
Certainly, from the audience point of view, the back of the hall seemed a
long way back!

As far as I am aware the Sofiensaal no longer exists - at least Decca are
no longer able to use it.  Was it not destroyed in a massive fire about 10
years ago? Like the loss of the Kingsway Hall in London this, surely, is to
be to be regretted.

And no, I know of no DG recording that can match anything Decca ever did in
Vienna!

** (Concert of 17 Jun 65: Appalachian Spring/ Ov.Meistersinger/ Mozart
Piano Conc.24 & Bartok Conc.  for orchestra & encore: Hung.March from
Damnation of Faust - the programme is in a box somewhere).

John G. Deacon    http://www.ctv.es/USERS/j.deacon
Campobello: http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/campobello