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If you were to take a straw poll among acoustic engineers to find the best concert hall in World, then the Musikverein would come pretty close to the top: it might even top the list. It’s one of four concert halls around the World that are commonly cited as sound exemplars, with extraordinary acoustics against which all new designs are compared. Like all good concert halls, the Musikverein provide sound reflections that enrich the orchestral sound. Without these reflections, the music would sound rather thin and distant.
Scientists have spent many decades trying to unlock the secrets of the hall, and perhaps the most important feature is its diminutive floor size. People are packed together in a way which wouldn’t be allowed in a new building because of modern fire regulations. This results in a very lively sound; the music reverberates and echoes for a long time, bouncing around the hall, creating sound that seems to envelope the listener. It’s ideally suited to the music of Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler; these famous composers all had music premiered here.
Location and logistics
Website: Book a concert, or second best, go on a tour.
Credits
Photo: By Li Sun – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
As a musician and acoustician, I am convinced that if the hall is suited for Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler’s music, it is not only because the hall is great, but also because the composer were aware of its particular qualities while composing. In a certain way, their music was adapetd to the hall, at least as well as the hall is a good place to hear their music !