Do you hear what I hear?
Not all Concert Halls and Auditoriums are created equal
Acoustics
When attending a concert, opera, theatrical production, comedy show or lecture the acoustic signal or patters and intensities of the show you’ve come to see can often make or break your experience. Auditoriums and concert halls are usually designed with that in mind so that the direct (coming directly from the stage) and indirect/ reflected sound (bouncing off of the room’s walls, ceiling and floor) reaches your ears at approximately the same time (Goldstein, 2014).
Carnegie Hall's Stern/Perelman Auditorium - NYC, New York
Considered the best in the country, New York’s famous Carnegie Hall is the “acoustic crown jewel of American concert halls” with some of the most simple architecture and design (Carnegie Hall Corporation, 2015). Carnegie Hall’s Stern/Perelman Auditorium features a smooth interior, elliptical shape, slightly extended stage, and domed ceiling that projects soft and loud tones alike to any location in the Hall with equal richness and clarity (Carnegie Hall Corporation, 2015).
Davies Symphony Hall - San Francisco Califiornia
Adversely, San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall has less than desirable acoustics according to a review by the Anstendig Institute which sites a problem with reflected sound due to poor architectural materials, un-equalized sound due to the use of reflectors and overall volume issues related to design (1984). According to the Anstendig Institute, the shape of the room is essentially responsible for a good acoustic and the Davies Hall could be considerably improved by not only caning the reflectivity of the material in the walls but to change the seating to radiate sound from the stage (1984).
References
Anstending Institute, (1984), Concert hall acoustics: an explanation of the factors involved in acoustics with and analysis o those factors in relation to San Francisco’s Davies Hall. Retrieved from: http://www.anstendig.org/Acoustics.html
Carnegie Hall Corporation, (2012). The A to Z of Carnegie Hall: A is for acoustics. Retrieved from: http://www.carnegiehall.org/BlogPost.aspx?id=4294987566
Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Sensation and perception (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.