# Booking tickets for San Francisco Symphony Orchestra



## kanishknishar (Aug 10, 2015)

I am going to San Francisco in June. MTT's conducting Mahler 9 but I have no idea which seats to book. Considering how expensive the tickets are, will the 'Upper Orchestra' ($55) ticket provide a good view and sound?

Any particular section which is particularly terrible that should be avoided?


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

kanishknishar said:


> I am going to San Francisco in June. MTT's conducting Mahler 9 but I have no idea which seats to book. Considering how expensive the tickets are, will the 'Upper Orchestra' ($55) ticket provide a good view and sound?
> 
> Any particular section which is particularly terrible that should be avoided?


I've been to many shows there and Main orchestra is worth the money if you want full impact for Mahler. The sound can be attenuated at the back rows of upper orchestra so the tiers above the floor might be preferable for sound.

The only seats I've disliked were at the very back of the floor - there is a lower ceiling there, more attenuation - and in the highest "nosebleed" seats.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

I agree that the 1st floor seats below the ceiling are very bad. It was like sitting in a deep cave listening to music played outside. Even 2nd tier seats were much better. When I wanted to save money, I used to buy 2nd tier seats. The view is far, but the sound is good if the orchestra plays a large scale piece like Mahler. I listened to MTT's Mahler 3rd a long time ago.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Funny thing about San Francisco - it and London are two of the most expensive places on the face of the earth to live. Ungodly amount of wealth, hundreds of billionaires. Yet neither place has a top-notch concert hall. Davies is mediocre. Royal Festival Hall passable, Barbican not that good, Royal Albert Hall sounds like an airplane hangar. Disney Hall in LA is terrific, as are the halls in St Louis, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston (!!!), Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Vienna, Berlin...too bad the moneyed class in SF and London can't get together and build some really great.


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## kanishknishar (Aug 10, 2015)

philoctetes said:


> I've been to many shows there and Main orchestra is worth the money if you want full impact for Mahler. The sound can be attenuated at the back rows of upper orchestra so the tiers above the floor might be preferable for sound.
> 
> The only seats I've disliked were at the very back of the floor - there is a lower ceiling there, more attenuation - and in the highest *"nosebleed" seats*.


What are 'nosebleed' seats? What are 'main orchestra' seats? I cannot find them:









Also since I have never been to Davies Hall I do not understand what you mean. Which seats would you say from this list are worth having?



mbhaub said:


> Funny thing about San Francisco - it and London are two of the most expensive places on the face of the earth to live. Ungodly amount of wealth, hundreds of billionaires. Yet neither place has a top-notch concert hall. Davies is mediocre. Royal Festival Hall passable, Barbican not that good, Royal Albert Hall sounds like an airplane hangar. Disney Hall in LA is terrific, as are the halls in St Louis, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, *Boston (!!!)*, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Vienna, Berlin...too bad the moneyed class in SF and London can't get together and build some really great.


What's unusual about Boston?


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