Best Seat in the House?

Attending a symphony concert is good for the soul, but I still can't decide what I think is the best seat in the house.

At one concert at my local concert hall, I sat in the cheap seats. The seats were immediately behind the symphony, and because they were chorister seats, they also allowed you to look down on many of the musicians. It was an amazing view, watching the professionals play up close. But you also had a view of the entire audience, who was faced in your direction. It was a strange feeling, as if you were part of the performance. A bit unsettling, and I found after a while I missed seeing the front view of the symphony.

Another concert found me down in orchestra seats. They were in the front half of the house, but still a fair distance from the stage. I could see the performers well enough, and the sound was clear. But I felt slightly removed.

Recently, I sat in box seats. Not quite the traditional separated box, but a box tier, which had only a few rows. That I liked, because it felt more private. But the seats were in the back of the house. I had a full view of the stage, and could hear fairly well, though better on the louder pieces than the softer ones. I felt more distant than in the orchestra seats.

I think box seats near the stage might be the magic combination I'm searching for, semiprivate but closer to the action. Of course, every concert hall can be a little bit different, so what's best in one hall may not be best in another, I suppose. Plus, there's personal preference to factor in. And at the end of the day, I'd rather have any seat in the house, than no seat at all.