Backstage labyrinth (Dortmund)

in #music5 years ago (edited)

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Often (especially in the larger venues), the backstage areas of a theatre, opera hall or a concert hall can be ludicrously labyrinthine. Some balls have beautiful backstage areas with walls that are lined with photos and artwork and the floor is lined with carpet.

Then you have other halls where all of the beautiful excess is reserved for the audience and the front of house areas. In these cases you get something that closely resembles something from the opening of 'Get Smart'.

Earlier this month, I played in the Dortmund Konzerthaus, and it's backstage area definitely fell in the latter camp. Thankfully, whilst every corridor looked very similar and bare bones industrial-like it wasn't the most confusing backstage to navigate. Thankfully, I can read German, so it was still possible to read the signs.. A luxury that isn't always possible!

So, this is the backstage area of the Dortmund Konzerthaus. It seems pretty straightforward, but keep in mind that I knew where I was going, so there were no wrong turns despite many fire doors looking exactly the same and the many possible branches that I knew were the wrong ones!

The changing rooms

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The beginning of the journey is the artist's changing room, down in the basement somewhere. When you are first taken here, you have a guide, but after that you are completely on your own to find your way around the backstage...

The First Corridor

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After opening a heavy fire door, we have this lovely looking corridor, decked out in the most alluring greys...

The Second Corridor

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Spot the difference? This is actually a different corridor...

The Stairs

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Finally, the stairs, which means that it is time to rise out of the basement and rejoin the world of the living...

Artist's Entrance

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The stairs first take us to the artist's entrance. Usually the entrance door artists is tucked away in a horrible dark alley in the back of concert hall that is next to impossible to find unless you know what you are looking for. This time it was on a main street, but still easy enough to walk past!

The Last Ascent

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The final stairs up to the stage entrance. These photos were done just before the concert, so it wasn't possible to take photos of the stage, however it will be something to keep in mind for next time!

However, here is a photo from Wikimedia Commons, just to get a taste!

Wikimedia Commons


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FOR TSE: It's not all glamor, bright lights and high-living, is it ... this business of being a performer?

Ha ha, Yes! The front end that we present to the public is a little bit different!

I think I'd better bring my diapers incase I need to go to bathroom 😂 I'm so bad at navigation and remember the direction or even recognize the corridor 😊 what a video @bengy

Ha ha... Definitely, it's quite possible in some places to get really very lost back there!

Wow that must have been fun. I forget sometimes that you also make music.

Heh, sometimes I forget too! But I like to find amusement in odd things something...


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@bengy,

Interesting post. I've never been "backstage" anywhere. Now I know what I was missing. I can live with it. :-)

Beautiful concert hall.

What instrument do you play?

Quill

Ha ha... this is just one of the terrible ones! There are really nice and amazing ones with great canteens and games rooms!

I'm a violin/viola/viola d'amore who specialises in Early Music ( Baroque/Classical)!

howdy sir bengy! very interesting stuff here, it sounds like it would be way too easy to get lost in those areas! wow. it seems like there would be signs everywhere. I guess like anything else you learn to find your way around.

Often there are signs, but often there are in a foreign language! Not a problem for most of Europe, but place like Asia or Russia can be a bit troublesome! Even worse is some complexes ahave different buildings all interconnected by tunnels, so you can end up coming up in the completely wrong place!

hahaha! oh man sir bengy! that is so strange..do you ever go to communist countries like China?

Yes, I've been a few times. Different cities, all of them quite different in character! Again... strange place, nothing like what we would be used to in a Western liberal democracy.

I'd be nervous as hell if I had to be in front of so many people! Thanks for the behind the scenes - this was cool!

It's weird, I think I would normally be as well.... But when I have a violin or viola in my hand, I feel like a different person with a different public persona...

I could understand that. Once you get in the zone you uhhhh get in the zone.

so.... much... grey... :D :D :D

I have another that I'll do later... So.... much... white...

I lived in Dortmund , the whole city is grey !

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LOL!

The images instantly injected the background music of this into my brain:

Source

Thanks for the peek into your world.

Namaste, JaiChai

Ha ha, Yes! That's why there was the get smart video at the end!

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