Concert halls around the world

The Berlin Philharmonie is like a prototype of the modern concert hall. It was designed by Hans Scharoun, one of the leading representatives of organic architecture. The organic approach develops the shape of the building based on its planned use. In this case Scharoun took it literally that music was to be the centre of things, actually placing the orchestra in the middle for the first time, while the audience sits in tiered rows of seats arranged around the concert platform. This became known as the »vineyard« principle, and it has been used in many other concert halls since the Philharmonie was opened in 1963, the Elbphilharmonie among them.

The Philharmonie de Paris, opened in 2015, has several things in common with the Elbphilharmonie – not only the longer construction time and higher costs than originally planned (though this applies too). The main parallel is the location outside the city centre, chosen out of a desire to attract the wider public rather than an elitist audience. Another common feature is that Japanese acoustics expert Yasuhisa Toyota was responsible for designing the acoustics in both halls – although the Philharmonie de Paris sounds very different, with a considerably longer echo. The futuristic building was designed by the French architect and Pritzker prizewinner Jean Nouvel.

The Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern (KKL) was likewise based on plans by Jean Nouvel. The concert hall inside the centre is regarded by critics and musicians alike as one of world's best, thanks to its electrically adjustable sound- and echo chambers. It adheres to the traditional rectangular »shoebox principle«, and the appearance is based on a ship's hull. As at the Elbphilharmonie, water plays a major role in Lucerne. The KKL lies directly on the shore of the beautiful Lake Lucerne, and in addition two canals give the building complex its structure. The famous Lucerne Festival is held annually in late summer in the concert hall.

Geht es um die beste Akustik, fällt auch immer wieder der Name Musikverein. Mit seinen Kronleuchtern, Säulen und Deckengemälden ist der »Goldene Saal« sicher auch einer der schönsten Konzertorte der Welt. Ein wahrer Tempel für die Musik, aus dem nicht nur alljährlich das berühmte Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker in alle Welt übertragen wird. 1870 eröffnet, diente der Saal mit seinen idealen Proportionen und der perfekten Nachhallzeit auch als Vorbild für viele weitere Konzerthäuser bis weit in das 20. Jahrhundert hinein.

For the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, to name one example. Inaugurated in 1888, the Grand Hall likewise follows the »shoebox principle«, and has some of the best acoustics in the world. Moreover, the magnificent building has fine Art Nouveau decorative elements. The orchestra in residence is the Concertgebouw Orchestra: in the meantime, the ensemble is an independent organisation, but its round sound has been strongly influenced by its home venue. In surveys of critics, the Concertgebouw Orchestra regularly vies for first place with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.

»How do I get to Carnegie Hall?«, a person out for a walk is said to have once asked the violinist Jascha Heifetz. Heifetz replied: »Practise!«. The anecdote proves that an appearance in Carnegie Hall is still equivalent to a knighthood for every musician. It's true that the brick building looks rather unprepossessing from the outside, but the acoustics of the Grand Hall with a capacity of 2,800 is legendary. The inaugural concert in 1891 was conducted by none other than Tchaikovsky himself. Two years later, Dvořák's famous »New World« Symphony had its premiere here. Even the Beatles played Carnegie Hall: their 1964 gig went down in history as »the night when Carnegie Hall went berserk«.

From America's east coast to the west coast – and back to modern times. Los Angeles has one of the most interesting concert halls in the world from an architectural point of view: the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which opened in 2003. The home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra was designed by Frank Gehry, whose Deconstructivist style had previously turned the Spanish city of Bilbao into a tourist magnet with his remarkable Guggenheim Museum. Experts often refer to the so-called »Bilbao effect«, a term which has also been applied to the Elbphilharmonie. Thanks to its concert hall, Los Angeles now has one more major tourist attraction!

The great popularity of Western classical music in Asia is reflected not least by the many concert halls built there in the last few decades. But with Tokyo's Suntory Hall, architect Shōichi Sano and his acoustics expert Minoru Nagata really scored a hit. (Nagata is the founder of the company Nagata Acoustics, where Elbphilharmonie acoustics  designer Yasuhisa Toyota also works.) Suntory Hall is one of the world's most prestigious concert venues; when it was inaugurated in 1986, it was the first Tokyo concert hall to be built exclusively for orchestral concerts.

Last but certainly not least – it goes without saying that the Sydney Opera House cannot be omitted from this list. Thanks to its iconic roof, it has become THE landmark of Australia, and undoubtedly one of the world's best-known buildings. The complex actually consists of five theatres, with the nearly 2,700-seat Concert Hall being the biggest. The original design came from Danish architect Jørn Utzon. But Utzon fell out with the Australian government during construction, and ended up leaving the project. The complex was then completed by local architects, which resulted in numerous delays and compromises. The Sydney acoustics don't have a particularly good reputation. But architecturally speaking, no other concert hall can come close to the Sydney Opera House – well, almost no other…