By Dan Buckwalter
#commonmanatthe symphony
One of the joys of flying solo to Eugene Symphony concerts is that a Thursday night at the Hult Center’s Silva Concert Hall is a singular event where I might see friends in the lobby and, if I’m lucky, discover interesting people sitting next to me who will answer questions I have always had.
I got all that this past Thursday when quite by accident, I found myself sitting next to a well-built man at a four-panel control board who explained to me the wall of sound that emanates from the orchestra and fills the hall.
His name is Bruce Hartnell, and he’s been the audio engineer at Hult Center since 1996. He cheerfully informed me about all things regarding sound, both prior to the concert and during intermission on a robust night of music from the Eugene Symphony Orchestra in front of a capacity audience.
Some of Hartnell’s narration of the history of the Hult Center included the many, and notable, improvements in acoustics at Silva Hall since the early 2000s.
It also included his knowledge, such as the science of frequencies and sound itself, which went above my head quickly. He explained, though, that he and I, at the top edge of the rising lower bowl at Silva Hall, have the best seats in the house. That’s because the orchestra’s natural sound has an unobstructed path to this area and, he said, up to the first and second rows of the mezzanine. There’s nothing in Silva Hall that interferes with the sound’s direct path.
Quibble with this if you wish, you long-time symphony patrons, but I know I was hooked on Thursday night.
Between the alternately violent and tender key strokes of guest pianist Natasha Paremski in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and the thunderous tympani and rolling brass and strings of Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable, the clarity is first rate. I was ready to charge, along with Francesco Lecce-Chong, the Eugene Symphony conductor.
But Hartnell’s composure throughout is one of studied silence. He has seen it all at the Hult Center.
His main taskfor setting up and testing the recording microphones is done during Wednesday’s rehearsal. His second piece of heavy work is after the concert, where he and his crew will work until the midnight hour taking everything down.
The work is not as physically daunting as it was during the Hult Center’s recent multi-night run of The Lion King, Hartnell said. Everything has to be precise for the recording, yes, but he’s been at this for close to 25 years. He’s settled. There are few surprises.
However, small surprises do come. One came on Thursday night when Paremski — after a well-deserved standing ovation and multiple curtain calls — announced her solo encore performance. In the din of applause, no one heard the announcement.
Hartnell smiled at intermission. Paremski’s announcement was not part of Wednesday night’s rehearsal, so no one was prepared.
Otherwise, Thursday night’s performance by Paremski and the symphony was flawless. Paremski was elegant with a not over-the-top edge of showmanship in the Tchaikovsky piece. She was dialed in, and she looked to be having fun.
For a performer, having fun is contagious. The orchestra and the audience were with her from the start of the concerto. I had the feeling she could have winged it for another hour and no one would have minded.
Yet that would have taken Nielsen’s powerful symphony away from the deeply appreciative audience. The Danish composer finished the piece in 1916, and it is an energetic, creative journey that has to be heard. It was the first time the Eugene Symphony had performed it, and I hope to hear it again soon.
Overall, Thursday was a wonderful night with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra. I meant to say goodbye to Hartnell after the Nielsen symphony, but he had left his audio control booth. I smiled, because I remembered that he was working until the midnight hour.
The next chance to say hello to Hartnell — and all the staff of the Hult Center that make the Eugene Symphony Orchestra a monthly go-to event —is Thursday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hult Center.
About The Author
Daniel Buckwalter
Daniel Buckwalter lives in Eugene with his five cats, affectionately known as The Russian Mafia. He has worked for three newspapers spanning more than three decades, most recently at The Register-Guard. He also has had pieces of short fiction published in literary journals through out the country.
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