Music Hall guest editorial

Readers are extremely interested in the possible renovations planned for Music Hall. Besides a letter to the editor from another reader last week, I received this guest column from Joseph Schuchter. Here's what he has to say:

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Music Hall Makeover – Let the music, and the reader, decide

The reactionist’s reaction to Sunday’s article "Experts turn in recommendations on 129-year-old Music Hall makeover" would likely be one of head-shaking and finger-pointing. One of lamentation and unconstructive remarks. A typical response of too many Cincinnatians who, beleaguered by negative or opaque news stories, do not always see the great accomplishments and positive momentum in our city.

Missing from the article were a few simple facts, which when with withheld may have led readers to believe that the Symphony was downsizing as a result of (poor) attendance.

There was mention of a half empty hall, followed by words like "concerns," "restructuring" and "downsizing." Effectively, if the glass is half empty, get a smaller glass. There was talk about glamour, which would arrive in the form of a gift shop. Don’t forget the more secure parking which would lure on-the-fence, occasional, or first-time symphony go-ers downtown. No doubt these might be nice upgrades, but we are now led to believe that the facility renovation is simply an enticement to fill the seats, that our world class symphony alone is not good enough.

However, the true story is that the glass is half full. Some key facts which went missing: attendance is not poor; the most famous concert halls in the world hold less than 3,000 people; our hall at 3,400 seats is a monster designed for other purposes; the CSO musicians must upgrade their instruments and play more vigorously to fill such a space; resultant hearing damage is a reality for the musicians; and to transform a bunch of sounds into a symphony, halls require highly specialized designs.

That's it. Just a few additional sentences would have helped the reader not versed in Music Hall's history or the facets of concert hall design to navigate through the article and turn the page with a bit more knowledge and enthusiasm.

The music speaks for itself. This much is clear. And few would deny that our world class symphony deserves a more suitable facility. Whether such a great landmark should undergo a costly and drastic change is another question. Perhaps our eyes and ears in journalism can work up a report on this. We appreciate the story on a closed-door session. Just give us a bit more help in getting it straight.