Perception of music dynamics in concert hall acoustics

Abstract

Dynamics is one of the principal means of expressivity in Western classical music. Still, preceding research on room acoustics has mostly neglected the contribution of music dynamics to the acoustic perception. This study investigates how the different concert hall acoustics influence the perception of varying music dynamics. An anechoic orchestra signal, containing a step in music dynamics, was rendered in the measured acoustics of six concert halls at three seats in each. Spatial sound was reproduced through a loudspeaker array. By paired comparison, naive subjects selected the stimuli that they considered to change more during the music. Furthermore, the subjects described their foremost perceptual criteria for each selection. The most distinct perceptual factors differentiating the rendering of music dynamics between halls include the dynamic range, and varying width of sound and reverberance. The results confirm the hypothesis that the concert halls render the performed music dynamics differently, and with various perceptual aspects. The analysis against objective room acoustic parameters suggests that the perceived dynamic contrasts are pronounced by acoustics that provide stronger sound and more binaural incoherence by a lateral sound field. Concert halls that enhance the dynamics have been found earlier to elicit high subjective preference.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Surround-Type Concert Halls

“…Pätynen and Lokki [6] is a second paper based on the same study as Lokki [1]. They confirmed the hypothesis that concert halls render the performed music dynamics differently, and with various perceptual aspects.…”

“…Perhaps the most interesting recent hall typology investigation paper is Pätynen and Lokki [7]. Rather than listening tests, this study used the same six halls as references [1,6], but measured a physiological response related to emotional arousal, namely skin conductance, as well as recording listening preferences. They found that rectangular-shaped concert halls evoked higher subjective impact and emotional response than the other types of included concert halls, including the Berlin Philharmonie and Helsinki Musiikkitalo surround form halls.…”

Dynamic Spatial Responsiveness in Concert Halls

“…Recently, the research group at Aalto University has taken up the topic of dynamics anew, demonstrating that dynamic spatial responsiveness is related to changes in instrument frequency responses and directivity at higher dynamic levels [11][12][13][14]: due to greater binaural sensitivity to high frequencies at lateral angles, an increased spatial impression results from the additional higher harmonics that are generated when instruments are played loudly. However, little-known research published by Wettschurek [15] in 1978 demonstrates that the connection between dynamics, loudness, and spatial impression is linked to other fundamental processes in the human hearing system, in particular how reflections from different directions are masked or unmasked at different overall listening (dynamic) levels.…”

Wheel of Concert Hall Acoustics

“…As mentioned before, the positioning of the terms may not represent factual truth about the associations between the terms per se, butit is based on our recent research [21,19,20,27]. Our objective has been to present the terms as logically as possible based on the literature and the authors' current understanding.…”

“…Theyare volume [4], level, strength and body [32]. In addition, acknowledging the fact that the sensation of sound strength varies continuously in musical sound, and that there is interaction between the dynamic changes and the hall acoustics, the term dynamic range [27] is also included in the outer tier.…”