Special to the Aspen Times
Aspen audiences got their first tastes in years of classical recitals in the vast spaces of the Benedict Music Tent this week. The music was top-notch. For this more intimate concert form the venue is going to take some getting accustomed to.
With the 500-seat Harris Hall off limits due to COVID protocols, something gets lost in translation in the vast spaces of the 2,050-seat tent. There was a time when the festival presented chamber music in the tent occasionally. I can recall some extraordinary Dvořák quintets in the old days. But not recently. Harris Hall’s cozy environment lets an audience hear nuances not always audible in a space like the tent. Besides, an audience that would fill Harris Hall looks disappointingly spread-out in the tent.