Bruce H.
Yelp
I drove down to Lincoln Road and caught the concert "under the stars" - the Wallcast at the New World Center, with about 1000 others on a gorgeous, crisp Miami winter evening . Fantastic experience! Gigantic wall projection of the concert in HD video, with surround sound blasting the concert into the night. The concert was terrific. Barber's Symphony #1, Rachmaninoff Symphonic Variations with Lisitza the fantastic blond piano soloist, plus Vaughn Williams Symphony #4. The HD camera work brought you into the performance in an incomparable manner....a very intense, visually and sonically stunning experience.
My gripes (why I gave it 4, and not 5 stars) was for two reason: the performance had to compete with occasionally loud trucks driving by, police sirens, car alarms, etc., etc. This distracted during the quiet, contemplative moments in the music. So if you love your music in an sonically pure environment, this is probably not for you. Another gripe is the music system, which was amazing in its ability to create a "surround sound" experience, was simply too loud at times, creating a huge wash of sound that made it difficult, at times, to hear and follow the the musical flow, especially in works that are less familiar, as was the case tonight (the Barber and the Vaughn Williams, though wonderful, are rarely performed, and therefore not very familiar works). Turn down the volume, just a bit!
Having said that, I will return to the New World Symphony Wallcasts. They are a terrific, FREE way to experience the fabulous New World Symphony under the stars - a Miami treasure!