According to most inexperienced amateurs, the best seats in the auditorium of the theater are located on the ground. In fact, it all depends on what exactly led the art fan to the theater today. In addition, to get to the most expensive places, it is not necessary to buy tickets to the stalls. What it is and why it is popular now, history will help to understand. Despite the fact that the halls in theaters can vary significantly in size and, accordingly, in the number of zones, these places are always for the audience.
Parterre. What it is?
This is part of the hall in the theater, in which the arrangement of seats for spectators begins from the stage (or the orchestra pit) and ends with the opposite wall, or the amphitheater (if any). Traditionally, the stalls are below the stage level by about one meter and the same distance above the level of the orchestra pit. As already mentioned, many amateurs believe that the first rows of the stalls are expensive and good places. In fact, this does not always correspond to the truth, because at all times the most expensive were tickets to the box. And the convenience of the first places in the stalls is not always justified. If the viewer came to listen to a classical concert, he does not need to see in detail all that is happening on the stage. Another thing is the performance. Seats in the front rows of the stalls will provide the viewer with a sense of involvement in the action that takes place on the stage.
The prototype of the modern stalls
The idea of arranging the audience according to the principle of a modern stall appeared in ancient Rome. It was there that there were benches for senators who were located in the theater.
During the Middle Ages, theatrical performances, as you know, were banned, so new theater buildings were not built. The only thing that the audience could count on was the church performances that were played out inside the temples. Over time, the audience became more and more, so already from the 12th century, performances began to be given on the porch. The stage itself was quite long, and the audience could be located along it.
In the 16th century, morality and mystery productions were forced to be transferred to the street. For this, at the time of presentation, some of it was enclosed. Wealthy citizens had the opportunity to watch the view from the windows and balconies of the houses, which were located on the same street. Poor citizens and people of the lower class had to find a place on earth. Most likely, the word parterre comes from here. From French, "par terre" literally translates "to the land."
The rebirth of the art of building theaters
Theaters began to be re-built in Italy only in the era of the early Renaissance. When developing their projects, places on the ground were also taken into account. The construction scheme suggested that people near the stage would be occupied by lower class people. Therefore, seats were not provided in the stalls.
Beginning in the 17th century, seats began to appear on the ground in England. However, only people of noble origin could use them. Moreover, these places were not permanent. Armchairs were substituted and cleaned if necessary.
The first stationary seats appeared on the ground floor of the Boston Theater. This idea was realized by the architect K. Lida after the French Revolution, which brought democratic ideas to the masses. The idea of equality was that the audience who watched the performance on the stall had the same amenities as noble people in the box.
Theaters in Russia. What did the orchestra mean at the time of Pushkin?
In Russian theaters in the 18th century, there were no expensive seats in the stalls either. In addition, the places themselves were few - only two rows. In order to use them, they had to be prematurely subscribed. This could be afforded mainly by high-ranking officials. Parterre was called an empty space that was fenced off from the seats with a cord.
The seats on the stalls were relatively cheap, and creative people could afford them. These were artists, poets, students who were ready to wait several hours for the performance. The fact is that more than a thousand spectators gathered on the ground for the performance, which was popular. What is it, it’s even difficult for a modern theater fan to imagine, because in order to take convenient places, young people came three hours before the start of the performance. Cheaper seats on the ground were only those that were on the balcony.
In Russia, as, indeed, in Europe, viewers occupied those places that corresponded to them in status.
Modern ground floor. Reviews and Opinion
The situation has changed a bit nowadays. Parterre is still very popular among theater fans. What is it in a modern theater?
Placement in the stalls parallel to the orchestra barrier. For the convenience of the audience, they are separated by passages that lead to the exits from the hall. Better visibility is provided by increasing the level of the floor from the first rows to the last. According to most viewers, the best in the stalls are the central places of the seventh row. They provide maximum performance overview and better acoustics, which allows you to perceive the performance more holistically.