THE ART AND SCIENCE OF CONCERT HALL ACOUSTICS

I. INTRODUCTION

The creation of beautiful music has often seemed more art than science. However, bringing the most talented individual musicians together to play the greatest compositions does not guarantee that the sound will be great. Good, perhaps, but not great. If this ideal orchestra were to play in the Boston Symphony Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw or Vienna’s Grosser Musikvereinssaal, then the music would be great. The often unaccounted for “instrument” is the hall itself. To create beautiful music it is necessary to combine the artistry of the performers with good hall acoustics.

Until recently, hall acoustics remained a mystical subject. An organization could copy one of the great halls; but to create an architecturally distinct building was a great risk. Millions of dollars have been poured into visually appealing halls that deaden sound, break up blend, and ruin what could be a great concert. Millions more have been spent trying to correct the acoustical deficiencies of these halls. Only recently has the computer age made it possible to try to anticipate how a set of blueprints will sound.

I.1. PROPOSAL

Evaluate the current level of the science of computational acoustics applied to concert halls and theaters. Questions such as the following examples should be addressed.

· Can acoustical simulations eliminate some room features as acoustically poor and promote others as acoustically rich?

· How accurate are the current acoustical simulation programs?

· Is it possible to design an acoustically perfect hall by using acoustical simulation?

· What parts of the science need more development?

· How usable are acoustical computer models to a group attempting to build a good hall?.

I.2. HYPOTHESIS

Results of a series of analyses of existing and hypothetical concert halls can provide insight for acoustical consultants, building architects, and musicians to create better sounding performances for the majority of the audience.