160046 PS European Concert Halls (2016W)

In this course the phenomenon of the functional room type "concert hall" as the sympbol of the institution "concert" (as event) is to be examined in detail under the historical aspects of the origin out of the English "Musick Rooms" of the 17th century over the symbols of the bourgeoisie of the late 19th century, which still nowadays form the image of the concert hall in the public, until the newest representatives of this room type, which expose variable room acoustical properties dependent on the musical styles and genres to be performed.
By means of room acoustical measurements the room acoustical properties of the most famous European examples of this room type will be analyzed as well as their acoustical characteristics, among them the "Goldener Saal" of the Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Stadtcasino Basel, Tonhalle Zürich, Royal Albert Hall, Gewandhaus Leipzig and others.
Moreover, the multifaced interactions, the mutual influences and changes of concerts as public insitution, public music life and concert halls since ca. 1650 until today are to be analyzed, among these the development of the (symphonic) orchestra and the public concert per se.