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The music director saw a video with a seating configuration for Brahms II that they wanted to try, so he is having us do it.
I am seated directly in front of the principal horn and nearly directly behind the principal clarinet.
It’s nearly as if their parts are playing (almost exclusively) in headphones, and I’m just not accustomed to that “balance”. Also, this is a stage where the sound from the violins doesn’t make it to the back of the stage very well at all. It’s different, to say the least.

Additionally – per recent practices - the trombone section is spread out pretty far, and I’m not hearing much of what they’re doing.

Seating is traditional for the other works.
At least (having played it numerous times), I know how Brahms II “goes”.

To clarify: I’m glad to be there, I’m glad to be working with my friends, and I’m glad for the income.

Over the years I've seen several different seating arrangements used for countless band and orchestra festivals. A few have opened my eyes in surprise as to "improvement" in the sound of the groups. That said, the vast majority of them have been, in my opinion, a dismal failure when it comes to the over all sound. It's one thing to experiment a little and go with what turns out to be the best for a particular venue. It's another thing for the conductor to walk in and change the seating merely for the sake of change. When the conductor is looking for a particular balance/sound from the group, the new seating arrangement usually works out. If the conductor is just trying to impress someone by walking in and just throwing out ideas that haven't been completely thought through, given the venue, then.......... beware!!!

I've seen it go both ways.
.......Just my two cents.

I'm also continuously wondering...
"Is my bell blocking the view of (or is the movement of it distracting to) the principal horn?"

...and that concern is - well... - (on top of the odd sound balance in my ears) additionally distracting me.

Confirmed suspicion:
principal horn asked me to move over a foot, so - risking being blacklisted (sarcasm), I moved my chair away from the masking tape