Design Inspiration That Sounds Perfect
Mozart in the Jungle, the Amazon original series, has received lots of attention, both this year for being nominated for two Golden Globes and in 2016 with wins as best TV comedy and for Gael García Bernal as star in a comedy series.
To many, the awards seemed unexpected. The series, which focuses on the world inside and around the New York Symphony Orchestra, would seem at face value to appeal to only a niche audience.
But the show has been described as exuding warmth and zest for life, and there’s undeniable appeal in celebrating some truly beautiful musical moments that it brings to the screen. The popularity of Mozart in the Jungle has been high enough that Amazon Studios ordered a third season ahead of the Golden Globes.
As the new season begins, the orchestra has hit a rough patch; contract negotiations, a big part of Season Two’s focus, have resulted in a lockout. That means the musicians can’t rehearse, practice, or perform in their believed New York City concert hall. The musicians occasionally stage protests outside the theater, make cash by driving for Uber, and even perform playing bass in a rock band.
The two lead characters, Rodrigo (Bernal), the brilliantly unconventional conductor, and Hailey (Lola Kirke), the sometimes oboist and assistant to Rodrigo, find themselves both in Venice—though not together. At least, not at first: Hailey is touring with another orchestra, while Rodrigo finds himself being tapped to conduct the ‘comeback’ performance of an opera star—Allessandra (beautifully played by Monica Bellucci). Allessandra was famous worldwide as Italy’s own “La Fiamma,” and became perhaps even more famous (and mysterious) by leaving the stage mid-concert at the height of her fame.
There is no shortage of beautiful locales in Venice, and the third season takes wonderful advantage of them. But perhaps most striking are the scenes recorded inside the Teatro La Fenice, (pronounced [la feˈniːtʃe] Venice’s famous opera house. Besides the symmetry of names—La Fiamma means ‘flame,’ while La Fenice means ‘Phoenix,’ the bird famously reborn from the ashes of fire—there are more reasons to like the Teatro La Fenice:
It has been called one of “the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre“, [1] and in the history of opera as a whole. La Fenice was the site of many famous operatic premieres, including the works of the four major bel canto era composers—Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi.
Monica Bellucci and Gael García Bernal are pictured below inside the Teatro La Fenice:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH1BPhAjS0K/
Interestingly enough, for a theater named after a bird reborn from the ashes of flame, Teatro La Fenice has itself been rebuilt after three fires—the first in 1774, the second in 1836, and the last in 1996, which left only the exterior walls.
After assorted delays, reconstruction work began in 2001. Travel writer Gillian Price noted the efforts to stay true to the original structure while upgrading the experience for as many as possible:
“This time round, thanks to an enlightened project by late Italian architect Aldo Rossi and the motto ‘how it was, where it was’, it has been fitted out with extra rehearsal areas and state-of-the-art stage equipment, while the seating capacity has been increased from 840 to 1,000.”
A team of 200 plasterers, artists, woodworkers, and other craftsmen took over 600 days to recreate the old theatre, at a cost of @ €90 million. It reopened on December 14th 2003 with a concert featuring Beethoven, Wagner, and, naturally, Stravinsky (composer of ‘The Firebird’).
Why such a fuss to the original design? It was not only due to respect for the aesthetics, but to the acoustics, as well.
The acoustics in La Fenice have been called “perfect.”
French technology firm Webistem wrote an article about recreating them:
An essential factor in recreating the acoustics of the main hall, the Sala Teatrale, was the reproduction of the hall’s original horse-shoe shape with its five galleries, the shape of the ceiling and the original room-volume… It was also necessary to reconstruct their original vibration behavior through the correct choice of materials for the construction and the cladding.
Ramsete, a company that does computer modeling for room acoustics, said:
The acoustic characteristics of the former “La Fenice” theater… (are) characterized by a greater initial decay of the reverberant tail, and a subsequent reverberation that allowed a remarkable fusion of the sound and sustain to the musicians…
It’s hard to argue with perfection, especially when it is proven scientifically.
The acoustics of the original Teatro La Fenice may have been a happy circumstance, but the modern recreation was most definitively science… paired with aesthetic beauty. The result? One of the most striking structures anywhere in the world, and one that matches the very definition of Design Inspiration.
Roos International has fostered 30 years of Design Inspiration. Our purpose for being is fostering the visions of the architectural and design communities, and helping transform those visions into reality. No matter what is needed for your project, Roos makes inspiring material selection easy, with the tools and guidance you need to create a lasting piece of work.
Including materials specifically designed for the acoustic properties, like OBERSOUND Natural Wood Acoustical Panels.
Obersound is a natural wood acoustical panel perforated with decorative patterns that not only attain design interest but also provides acoustical sound absorption. Obersound combines the beauty of natural wood with superior sound control, and offers:
- Resistance to stains, impact, scratches and abrasion
- High UV resistance
- Class A fire rating
- NRC values range from .65 – .95 (with proper installation techniques)
- PEFC and FSC (mixed sources) certified (raw materials)
Obersound Natural Wood Acoustical Panels can be used in both wall and ceiling panel applications, and come in standard panels sizes. And of course… sizes can be customized.
Project Gallery: GALLERY
Roos makes it easy to design and create perfection in your sound environment with these beautiful and scientifically designed panels. Plus downloadable technical datasheets and application examples online. This type of help is exclusive to Roos International, as are these Obersound real wood panels.
And that’s only one example. There are thousands of interior and architectural stories waiting to be told… and to be heard in auditory perfection. Come craft your own, with the largest selection of decorative surfacing materials for walls, surfaces, and ceilings all in one place.