Concert hall acoustics is an important factor that influences musical performance. Different acoustics lead to different musical results. For a musical performer, the artistic impression of a performance is paramount. Therefore, it is essential to study the relation between concert hall acoustics and musical performance. Such studies might also be relevant for architects and acousticians. A pilot study was devised, enabled by a unique concert hall with mechanically variable acoustics. A musician played the grand piano at four trials, each having a distinctive acoustic condition. The trials were recorded for later analysis. The performances were assessed by experts and the pianist himself. The results show that clear as well as subtle differences in interpretation and performance between the trials existed.

Authors: Berg, Jan; Jullander, Sverker; Sundkvist, Petter; Kjekshus, Helge
Affiliation: Luleå University of Technology, Piteå, Sweden
AES Convention: 140 (May 2016) Paper Number: 9584
Publication Date: May 26, 2016 Import into BibTeX
Subject: Perception
Permalink: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=18282

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