Major technical fault halts Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie

Major technical fault halts Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie

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norman lebrecht

January 03, 2020

Last night’s New Year’s gala concert had to be abandoned after persistent micriphone failures.

There were noisy audience protests.

The hall is offering customer refunds.

More here.

Comments

  • A lot of troubles in a short time…

  • sam says:

    That’s what they deserve for using microphones in a classical music hall.

    The very fact that they need to use microphones is testimony to the failed acoustics of the hall.

    If Kaufmann can’t project in that hall, no one can.

    Time to rip up those tiers behind the orchestra.

    • Calvin says:

      Epic fail to be sure, but I doubt the solution is that simple.

    • Eric says:

      Kaufman can’t really project anywhere.

      • Patricia says:

        At least spell his name correctly even if your comment is not accurate for many people!

      • Helen says:

        I have heard Jonas Kaufmann on numerous occasions in various halls, some of which are not the greatest acoustically. There has never been any trouble hearing him, even when singing pianissimo. Your comment is ridiculous and snide.

      • Oscar Rivero says:

        At Teatro Colon he filled the house!

    • Norbert says:

      “The very fact that they need to use microphones is testimony to the failed acoustics of the hall.”

      If you will forgive the pun Sam….it speaks ‘volumes.’

    • Nik says:

      The artists appearing at the New Year’s Gala were not classical singers but cabaret-style entertainers/singer-songwriters. It is normal for them to use amplification, regardless of the acoustics of the hall. Also, the failure of the sound system is not directly connected to the purported issue with the acoustics, though it’s certainly a major embarrassment for such a high-profile venue.

  • Mike Schachter says:

    You don’t get much for 800 million euros these days.

    • barry guerrero says:

      In comparison, the Berlin Airport only had about 6 billion Euros in cost over-runs. Maybe they should have made the roof of the Elbphilharmonie double as a landing strip.

      • Max Grimm says:

        Maybe they should have made the roof of the Elbphilharmonie double as a landing strip.

        Can you imagine the complaints and citations for noise related infractions that would ensue!? They’d be have to pay another €800mio in fines in less than a year. To combine a multipurpose hall with greater revenue, they could lease it to Airbus, since Hamburg is already one of their main locations….Airbus A320-Family finishing plant by day, concert hall and hotel by night.

      • Max Grimm says:

        *They’d be have to pay…

  • Karl says:

    Is the hall insured against fire? I know a guy named The Torch who might be able to help out. For a small fee.

  • mathias broucek says:

    Sorry to be naive, but is the implication that a classical concert can’t happen there without working microphones?!!!!

  • fflambeau says:

    The linked story indicates the microphones failed for the following artists: Volker Lechtenbrink, Katie Freudenschuss ; and, moderator Gerburg Jahnke.

    To Eric: No mention in the story at all about Kaufman.

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