The Dude, with rugTHE AREA onstage near an orchestra’s conductor is usually reserved for violinists, violists and cellists. But put on a virtual-reality headset, and you are so close to Gustavo Dudamel, the wild-haired conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, that he almost hits you with his baton. He is consumed with conducting Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and you have the sensation of enjoying a private performance. The project, which introduces classical music to people who have never set foot in a concert hall, is touring Los Angeles in a van.
Most days the appropriately named Van Beethoven is parked outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Philharmonic’s home. Inside are several concert seats and pairs of virtual-reality headsets, which render a scene in three dimensions. The aim is to use technology to entice a new flock of concertgoers to attend a real-life version, says Amy Seidenwurm, who speaks for the orchestra.
Classical concertgoers are becoming greyer and rarer. In 2012 around 9% of American adults attended a classical-music event, a quarter less than in 2002, according to the National...Continue reading
Source: United States http://ift.tt/1LT0LUR
EmoticonEmoticon