Hertz Concert Hall

As a member of the audience:
Not sure whether concert hall isn’t good or performance wasn’t good. I came here recently to hear a performance by Bronfman, who played Prokofiev’s #8 and #9 piano sonatas. The sound he produced just wasn’t very satisfying. Chairs are comfortable, but maybe acoustics aren’t very good.
As a performer:
I’ve also performed here when I was student as a piano noon concert soloist back in Fall 2011, and I performed half a noon concert in Spring 2012. In Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, I performed as part of a trio and a duet, respectively. The piano was really good, and I really enjoyed it! In Spring 2014, I performed as part of UC Berkeley’s Baroque Ensemble, playing the harpsichord. Cool experience too.

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra celebrated their 50 year anniversary with a series of concerts at Hertz Concert Hall this weekend.
Liked:
* intimate concert hall, small enough that every seat has a good view of the stage
* relatively comfortable seats with cushy padding
* good acoustics
Didn’t Like:
— very dark, not enough lights at night in surrounding area

Introduction to Western Music was one of my favorite undergraduate classes at Berkeley, and I will always remember it because I *really* got to know Beethoven that semester.
I heard Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony 2^nd movement here — before The King’s Speech made it cool. I remember the professor saying it was like «filling a space with sound» — starting with a simple rhythm and adding layers upon layers of instruments, bum bum bum buuuum buuum.
The acoustics at Hertz are as alive as my lectures were in music. I’ve seen a few symphonies here for class and every seat is a good seat if you just want to close your eyes and focus on the sound. I recall when we’d listen to Beethoven’s Fifth and analyze the structure of a symphony, or Berlioz — or Mozart.
Or ancient musics when people just chanted, times of minstrels and ladies and knights. Cultures upon cultures upon cultures, and they all sounded great here. That’s what’s important in the end: the music.
The classic pipe organs and the simple design make it all about the music too.
Berkeley is a fantastic campus, so it deserves a fantastic concert hall like Hertz. If you really care that it’s old, then I don’t know why you’re on the Berkeley campus at all (there are many more places past their prime).
In my opinion, the nice lived-​in places often make the best music — A+

Do you remember how you felt in the ‘70s? Well, neither do I, as I was two when the clock struck midnight and it was officially the ‘80s – although I would argue the ‘80s began in the ‘70s when Debbie Harry came on the scene, but I digress, as usual.
Even if you don’t remember how you felt in the ‘70s, and even if you don’t believe in reincarnation and so may not have existed in the ‘70s, come to a concert at Hertz Concert Hall in Hertz Hall at UC Berkeley, and you’ll remember exactly what you felt like or know exactly what you would have felt like in the ‘70s.
Concerts. Performances. Wood paneling. Wood paneling. Busts and statuary. No topiary. Wood paneling. Yellow seating. Wearing formal clothing even when the occasion didn’t call for it, because the occasion always called for it. Wood paneling.
This review is officially dedicated to Traci J., who scored a PR in the Boston Marathon despite the craziness and who is generally a rockstar for many reasons. One of them is that she got me to come to Berkeley on a Saturday! So even though it was triply or even quadruply like I was at work, it felt care-​free and wonderful. We found a log cabin, espied through big windows two separate celebratory dinners, and enjoyed the stylings of Gamelan Sari Raras.
Gamelan reminds me of the ‘70s too, for some reason. It’s neat. It will even make you forget the wood paneling, or maybe it will help you understand it.
The place is way past its prime, but that’s all right. Would you rather experience gamelan in some ridiculous glassy auditorium? Probably not.

A jewel box of a venue !
It was amazing luck that I easily found parking for Cal’s Fall Free for All Day. The weather was perfect, the paths well-​marked for locations and show times. I crept in a little late for the Cypress String Quartet performance, and was so glad I did.
The performance was delightful, the artists very personable.
The acoustics of the room is a marvel. But best of all, the seats are a wonderful fit for the human-​bottom, with bliss-​inducing leg room!

As an alumna of UC Berkeley’s music department, Hertz Hall is like a second home to me. As a student, I would be in Hertz at least 3 – 5 times a week for various rehearsals, concerts (both as a performer and a spectator), auditions, classes, etc. I even graduated from the department on that very stage. Wonderful memories! Now that I’m a big girl with a college degree, I still find myself back at Hertz for auditions, rehearsals when I’m needed as a ringer or soloist, and as an audience member for their numerous concerts.
The hall is beautiful and has great acoustics. The organ is HUGE, seats are comfy, and the stage was just renovated in 2010. The concerts here range from talented students to professionals. Sometimes Cal Performances recitals will be held in Hertz (instead of Zellerbach), which gives such a nice and intimate vibe.

Hey, Unilocal-​deleted my review of my favorite Hall in the East Bay bar none.
Well, now that Unilocal-​has become a corporate tool for a mega-​million soon to be IPO’d prob… they don’t want too many of my reviews tellin you the straight scoop-​ola.
This is perfect for small chamber groups to play. Beautiful wood panelling and wonderful ivory colored carpeting and lolling-​no-​gaging grassy knolls behind the Hall to enjoy the sunset.
No food. Hide your bottle of water and go to the lobby for a swig. The water from the drinking fountain tasted verry metallic.
CHECK it out and go BAREbear… on a how berzerkly indian summer day.
And now you too can learn to know the pricey cost of beautiful Hertz sounds. My all time fave.

Hertz Hall is a tiny little treasure. It’s more intimate and architecturally stunning than any of the competing halls in the area (Zellerbach, Davies, Herbst), and you have to work to find a bad seat in the house. Take the time to scan the details of the all-​wood interior — it’s really beautiful and has the double effect of enhancing the acoustical experience.
Who plays here? Well, the bulk of the Cal Performances chamber music series, the university orchestra, and the occasional recital. Well worth the visit if you have the chance…

Hertz me now… or Hertz me never!
As Bay Area auditoriums go, Hertz Hall is fairly under the radar given its semi-​hidden bucolic location on the UC campus, but it has great acoustics for classical recitals, which frankly is the only reason I ever go. There are only 750 seats in the place, but the vaunted ceilings make for a clear sound.
A couple of years back, I saw Kiwi baritone Jonathan Lemalu singing Mozart, Faure and cabaret songs from William Bolcom. Glorious. And this past Sunday, I was there to see my favorite singer, the extraordinary countertenor David Daniels, and he was in top form with his frequent accompanist Martin Katz — a program of Brahms, old English songs and his specialty, Handel arias.
Mesmerizing and clear as a bell from my third row seat. During breaks, you can go outside and enjoy a nice view of the Campanile peeking through the trees. So get classy for a change, drop the bong and sit with the bluehair and sweater set to enjoy some mighty fine compositions. Culture with a capital K!

I had the pleasure of watching and hearing the Berkeley University Symphony Orchestra perform in Hertz Hall this past Friday night. The concert was a welcome jolt of culture for me as someone who appreciates classical music but rarely gets to experience it in any form other than 102.1 KDFC. This Friday, the symphony’s bold program commenced with Sibelius’ «Tapiola,» followed by the percussion-​heavy «Cathedral Spires» by Berkeley’s own Cindy Cox, and ended with a thrilling rendition of Rachmaninoff’s «Symphonic Dances.»
Being in the beautiful music hall with its accoustically-​designed wooden walls and dandylion velvet seats and witnessing the orchestra members on stage in their tuxedo’s and black skirts made the whole evening feel quite sophisticated. While that formality can be one of the best aspects of the symphony, the conductor’s enthusiasm engaged the audience who in turn thunderously cheered on the orchestra after each piece reminding us of that these events are meant to be fun and spirited, not stodgy and antiquated.
While the hall itself is quite large, the concert felt very intimate as the seats were only about half full. Considering the quality of the music and the reasonability of the ticket prices ($ 4 Cal student/​$ 8 Cal faculty, other students/​$ 13 general admission), I was surprised more locals don’t take advantage of these wonderful performances. For me, this was the perfect way to spend some time in between getting dinner and going out with friends for some late-​night pints.