160072 VO European Concert Halls (2024W)

In this lecture, the phenomenon of the functional room type ‘concert hall’ as the symbol of the bourgeois concert system will be examined in detail from a historical perspective, the development from English ‘Musick Rooms’ of the 17th century to the manifestations of the strengthening (educated) bourgeoisie in the 2nd half of the 19th century, which still characterise the image of the concert hall in public today, to the latest representatives of this room type, which often have variable room acoustic properties depending on the musical styles and genres performed.
On the basis of room acoustic measurement data, the most famous European representatives of this room type will be analysed in combination with their room acoustic characteristics, including the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Stadtcasino Basel, Tonhalle Zurich, Royal Albert Hall, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Rudolfinum Prague and others.
In addition, the multifaceted interrelationships, mutual influences and transformations of social developments, the emerging concert system, public musical life, musical practice and the concert halls from around 1650 to the present day will be analysed, including the development of the (symphony) orchestra and the public concert itself.
In this course, participants will be given the opportunity to analyse in detail the various aspects of the cultural phenomenon of the ‘concert hall’ room type, focusing on the history of its development, acoustics, the interaction between architecture and composition as well as musical performance practice and the tension with economic interests as a driving force behind the development of this room type.
The content of the lecture will be presented in form of a lecture, but those participants interested should not be denied the opportunity to research and present aspects of particular interest themselves during the sessions.

Note: the language of the lectures usually and generally will be German.