KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ An Interview With David Landis on Davies Symphony Hall, Aug. 1980
Analog Audio
Event Type
InterviewsOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
AM.1980.08.19.2Program Length
8 minDates
| broadcast| 1980-08-19 | created
Description
Recorded on location on August 19, 1980, and with the sounds of ongoing construction heard in the background, Charles Amirkhanian interviews David Landis, the Director of Public Relations for the San Francisco Symphony, about the new Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, which was to have its grand opening in a month’s time. Landis describes many of the then revolutionary acoustic technologies that were incorporated into the building’s design, including its movable fabric banners and acrylic reflecting discs above the stage that were intended to be adjusted to fit the size of the orchestra and audience. Isolation from outside noises was accomplished by constructing an outer shell of lobby space and hallways around the inner auditorium. Despite these efforts it was discovered after the Hall’s opening in 1980 that the shear size of the hall and the relative lack of knowledge of how sounds would interact with the space led to less than adequate acoustics and the reflective discs were later reengineered in 1992, providing a much needed improvement to the hall’s acoustics as well as making it more visually elegant.Genres
Orchestral musicSubjects
Architectural acousticsAuditoriums -- Electronic sound control
Related place
San Francisco (Calif.) (was recorded at)Related Entities
Amirkhanian, CharlesLandis, David