The acoustics of the building's 'Great Hall' (Großer Saal) have earned it recognition alongside other prominent concert halls, such as the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Symphony Hall in Boston.[1] With the exception of Boston's Symphony Hall,[2][3] none of these halls was built in the modern era with the application of architectural acoustics, and all share a long, tall and narrow shoebox shape.
The Great Hall (Großer Musikvereinssaal), also called the Golden Hall (Goldener Saal), is about 49 m (161 ft) long, 19 m (62 ft) wide, and 18 m (59 ft) high. It has 1,744 seats and standing room for 300. The Scandal Concert of 1913 was given there, and it is the venue for the annual Vienna New Year's Concert.
The Great Hall's lively acoustics are primarily based on Hansen's intuition, as he could not rely on any studies on architectural acoustics. The room's rectangular shape and proportions, its boxes and sculptures allow early and numerous sound reflections.
The Great Hall originally included a historic pipe organ built by Friedrich Ladegast. Its first organ recital was held by Anton Bruckner in 1872. The present-day instrument was originally installed in 1907 by the Austrian firm of Rieger Orgelbau, highly esteemed by musicians such as Franz Schmidt or Marcel Dupré, and rebuilt in 2011.
In 2001, a renovation program began. Several new rehearsal halls were installed in the basement.
Gallery
Halls
Gläserner Saal / Magna AuditoriumBrahmssaal
Venue
Size
Height
Seats
Großer Musikvereinssaal (Goldener Saal)
48.8 × 19.1 m
17.75 m
1744 seats and c. 300 standing
Brahmssaal
32.5 × 10.3 m
11 m
600 seats
Gläserner Saal/Magna Auditorium
22 × 12.5 m
8 m
380 seats
Metallener Saal
10.5 × 10.8 m
3.2 m
70 seats
Steinerner Saal/Horst Haschek Auditorium
13 × ~8.6 m
~3.3m
60 seats
Hölzerner Saal (not used for concerts)
11.5 × 7.5 m
3.4m
60 seats
The names of the six halls refer to gold, Johannes Brahms, glass, metal, stone and wood respectively.
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