The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is one of the iconic landmark buildings in the Netherlands. In fact, the tiered layout of the Grote Zaal is one of the most recognisable stages for Classical Musicians. It is a place that I have played at quite often, in the Grote Zaal and in the other halls that are used for the chamber music concerts and broadcasts that are less well-known to the public. I will miss playing on these iconic stages when I return back to Australia, but I will have many fond memories!
The building was originally inspired by the equally famous Gewandhaus in Leipzig, another iconic concert hall that is home to the world's oldest symphony orchestra! Construction on the Concertgebouw was completed in 1888 and on the 125th birthday of the building, it was officially awarded the title of Koninklijk (Royal).
The building currently is the home of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (which was the orchestra that performed at the opening ceremony), which is again one of the leading symphony orchestras of the world!
Of course, like every concert venue on Earth... musicians have to go through the side entrance! Partly to save on the costs of actually constructing a nice entrance, but also to serve as the loading dock and the security check to get into the inner bowels of the building which the public is not privy to!
The Kleine Zaal (Recital Hall) is near the top of the building, and the artists enter through a steep carpeted staircase to the "green room". I always hate this bit... it is steep and narrow, and often I'm lugging at least a violin case or two... and I always smack into things... being careful not to slip downstairs again! I'm not entirely sure why, but it just happens that every time I'm here, I seem to have too much stuff (from travelling...)... or perhaps that is just what I remember!
Going out of the artists entrance into the stage area is also another steep set of stairs... not so much fun in slippery concert shoes!
The backstage "green room" is decidedly not green... but it is a nice place to hang out and load up on coffee and snacks before the concert. Generally, the ensembles that play in the Kleine Zaal are chamber music ensembles... meaning that you only need to share teh space with about 2-6 other people. It is a much nicer and quieter place than the packed large herding halls of the main stages of many venues!
Sound and vision from the stage is also piped into this area... so, you can keep a track of what is happening onstage! Giving you just enough time to wolf down a chocolate bar when you hear that it is your turn to get down there!
Again, as the number of people in the green room is quite small, it is pretty common to have yourself one of the four private rooms to keep your stuff in... or just to fall asleep in!
Outside the hall, the public is treated to a grand display of finery and artwork on the walls of the building. Much of a concert experience is also in the presentation before and after the actual concert, and the Concertgebouw does do a great job of it, in their building and dedicated staff.
The plaque just outside the entrance to the Zaal sums this up:
The Kleine Zaal, the Big Heart
The beating heart of the Concertgebouw is not always the Grote Zaal , but regularly the Kleine Zaal, indeed, with capital letters. The people in the know know, here music is more intimate, here are the public and musicians intensely bonded.
Blah blah... asking for money!
As mentioned before, the Grote Zaal is the more famous of the halls... however, the Kleine Zaal is the one that is best suited to intimate chamber music. The size and acoustics give it the intimacy between performer and audience that is vital for these smaller sized ensemble works... however, I do wish that the stage wasn't quite so high up in comparison to the audience.