Tweet seats have got nothing on virtual reality

Tweet seats? The Los Angeles Philharmonic thinks that’s cute. “You’ve got tweet seats? We’ve got Beethoven in 3-D virtual reality.”

That’s right. The L.A. Phil has developed a virtual reality performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

For all my recent worship of Sergiu Celibidache and his meditative approach to music, I’ve got to say this is about the most impressive thing any orchestra or opera company has ever produced as a tool for outreach.

Since the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has generally only been available to developers, do enough people have the necessary hardware to access this app? How will the public have access to the Beethoven experience? By way of VAN Beethoven, of course.

VAN Beethoven is a traveling virtual reality trailer full of headsets. It will be touring Los Angeles from September 11 to October 18, bringing the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Beethoven’s Fifth to about 30,000 to 50,000 Angelenos via the Oculus Rift.

At the start of the promotional video, Gustavo Dudamel provides a bridge between what the technology can do and what music can do. “Beethoven opens to you the door to go inside of your essence.”

This is the concern, right? Classical music is going to be reduced to an app and people are going to abandon the concert hall etc., etc. The L.A. Phil has sold out and in typical tinseltown fashion has turned Beethoven into a fake, flashy show.

Maestro Dudamel confirms at the very start of the video that this is about creating an opening for people to explore their “essence” and that it is Beethoven who facilitates that. The headset helps, but I think it is obvious that the music is the driving force behind this experiment.

Yet, lest we be too naive, we must always keep in mind the principle of cui bono. Who benefits?

The people who become Beethoven fans benefit. Yes, yes, well and good. The L.A. Philharmonic benefits. Good, good. The people trying to sell V.R. headsets also benefit. Bigtime.

I’m not a Marxist, at least I don’t think I am, but we must always keep in mind who benefits. I found myself looking up Oculus Rift to see if they were available. They are, for $199.

How many people are going to buy a headset because of the VAN Beethoven versus how many will buy a $199 subscription to the L.A. Philharmonic? I have no idea but I can guess that more headsets will be sold than tickets.

Who cares? If classical music is being promoted then let them sell their headsets. Stop being a dick, Harris.

I agree. I agree. However, I feel as though we need to go into this V.R. concert experience with “our eyes open,” so to speak.