Comparison of the Acoustic Properties of Concert Halls (on the Example of Aesthetic Evaluation of the Sound of Musical Works)

Abstract

This article is devoted to the method of aesthetic evaluation of the concert halls acoustics based on the properties of the perception of musical material by the human hearing system. For this purpose, a set of important evaluation criteria was defined: such as space, width, timbre, intelligibility, etc. Subjective evaluation criteria are closely interrelated and correlated with the objective acoustic parameters of concert halls. Concert halls were selected and brief information was provided to accomplish these tasks. For the aesthetic evaluation, the music pieces performed by the chamber orchestra were chosen. The assessment of sound in selected halls was conducted by sound engineers, composers, conductors, musicians, music critics and regular spectators of concerts and performances.The results of the survey were systematized and a comparative characteristic of classical music sounding in the two selected concert halls was given.The purpose of the research of the article is to offer a method of aesthetic evaluation of the acoustic properties of concert halls based on the subjective perception of the musical material sounding.The research methodology is determined by such methods as analytical – in the study of scientific literature; theoretical – to define specific terminology, to describe the phenomena that occur during the research and the parameters by which subjective assessment is done; empirical – when listening to orchestras in concert halls with a subsequent expert evaluation of the results; comparative – in the process of comparing research results; methods of analysis and synthesis – to process research results, and interviewing methods – to obtain information from musicians and active listeners.The scientific novelty of the research. It is made an attempt to compare the sound of orchestral music in different concert halls with the help of scientific study of subjective perception of musical material.Conclusions. Analyzing the results of the evaluation, we can say that the sound of the orchestras in the examined halls is significantly different. Each concert hall has its own individual and unique acoustics. Therefore, this should be taken into account when choosing a repertoire of concert groups and planning concerts. The application of aesthetic evaluation mechanism based on the subjective perception of the musical material sounding gives a positive result, so its use can be considered justified.