Concert hall seating: S-seki and sekizoku

[Michele Miller]

Dear theatre-going honyakkers,
I am translating the contents of a sample theatre ticket for a music
performance, and find the term 席属.
Am struggling with the English for 席属. Have found the following
explanation online:
席属とは、会場の階やゲート、入口などの付加情報です。
It is shown on the ticket as 席属1, 席属2, 席属3, 席属4, accompanied by
9999列 and 9999番 (row and seat number).
Does席属 refer to the particular "section" of the theatre, as in 'section,
row and seat number'?

There's also S席, which are the most expensive seats in the theatre. I did
see S席 translated once somewhere as 'Stalls'. I have since found it
explained as 「特定S」 or 「スペシャル」. Does S席 mean 'S Reserve', or
just 'S Seat"?
Yoroshiku,
Michele
________________________________
Michele Miller
Sydney Australia

[Matthew Fitsko]

>席属.
I wasn't familiar with this term before now, but I think "section" is
probably right.

> There's also S席, which are the most expensive seats in the theatre. I did
> see S席 translated once somewhere as 'Stalls'.

The stalls are traditionally the seats where the orchestra sits. When
a performance is held that doesn't require an orchestra, the stalls
are often sold as high-class tickets because they are so close to the
stage. That said, I think stalls is a little too specific a word for S
席. In Japanese, S席 are simply the best and most expensive seats in the
theater, and could be upstairs in the gallery, for example.

Sometimes these are called "superseats" in English, but in many cases
they are just called by whatever is at the top of the ranking system
(so S>A>B seat classes in Japanese would be A>B>C seats in English).
Depends on how you want to translate it.

Matthew Fitsko

[Brian Chandler]

Matthew Fitsko wrote:

> > There's also S席, which are the most expensive seats in the theatre. I did
> > see S席 translated once somewhere as 'Stalls'.
> The stalls are traditionally the seats where the orchestra sits. When
> a performance is held that doesn't require an orchestra, the stalls
> are often sold as high-class tickets because they are so close to the
> stage.

Hmm. I was under the impression that the term "Stalls" is used in the
UK and not America, which would explain some confusion over it, but in
UK usage it certainly does not refer to where the orchestra sits,
which is the orchesta pit. (I cannot imagine seats in the orchestra
pit have ever been sold!) In a London theatre (or opera house), such
as Covent Garden, the "stalls" means the lowest floor, on a level with
the stage, at least at the front.

Hang on! Isn't "orchestra" the American term for "stalls"?? (Though it
still isn't where the orchestra sits...)

As far as I know it is absolutely standard in Japan for seats (at
least for "western" concerts etc) to be called S席, A席, B席, C席 ..., and
S席 simply means "most expensive". Typically, the S seats will be just
the very best rows in the centre block of what we call the stalls, so
"stalls" would be a misleading translation (though not in the fraulent
direction).

The multipurpose halls in most cities in Japan (built typically 20-30
years ago) have a hydraulically operated apron stage, a section in
front of the stage which can be in four positions: stage level,
extending the stage for a large orchestral concert, floor level for
extra seats, below floor level for an orchestra pit, or down in the
dungeon (ならく) for storing away the music stands, seats, and other bric-
a-brac. That's if you're lucky: Oyama's hall was built in the early
stages (ouch!) of this process, and after an opera we have to
reassemble the floor over the pit on a maze of trestles and supports
that fall to pieces if you hold them upside down, the end result of
which being there's a two-hour delay from the end of the performance
to getting any beer.

Brian Chandler

[Matthew Fitsko]

> (I cannot imagine seats in the orchestra
> pit have ever been sold!)

Wait, you're right! You can hardly see the stage from a proper
orchestra pit!
I was always under the impression that the stalls were an extension of
the orchestra area (probably because, as you said, those seats are
simply called the orchestra in America). Sorry for the confusion.

I also wanted to add that the S>A>B>C ranking system is quite common
in Japan and is not used solely for theater seats. I've seen it used
in video games, tour packages, and video rental plans, for example.
There's also an SS ranking above S.

Matthew Fitsko

[Doreen Simmons]

I just thought 'S' meant 'special' -- indeed I think I heard it from
somewhere.

Doreen thinking the obvious

Superspecial?

Doreen Simmons
jz8d...@asahi-net.or.jp

[Rieko Suzuki]

ひょっとして参考になるかと思い、久しぶりに投稿いたします。

> 席属とは、会場の階やゲート、入口などの付加情報です。

というのであれば、席属は「座席の属性」の略ではないでしょうか。

かなり大きな会場の場合、チケットに印刷してある座席番号は、
例えば、「１階　D列30番」とか、「ゲートG　２列20番」のようになっています。
「1階にある席」とか「ゲートGに近い席」というのが、「席属」ではないかと思いま
す。
"Section, row and seat number"が一般的なのであれば、"section"と訳しても問題
ないとは思いますが。

また、S席は、"the most expensive seats"以外の何物でもありません。
Special seatと考えるのが最も妥当でしょう。
どの席をS席とするかは興行の主催者が決めるので、特定の場所にある座席という意
味ではありません。

鈴木理絵子／Rieko Suzuki