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Acoustics of Severance Hall

1959; Acoustical Society of America; Volume: 31; Issue: 1_Supplement Linguagem: Inglês

10.1121/1.1930164

1520-9024

R. S. Shankland,

Diverse Musicological Studies

Severance Hall has several acoustical problems introduced by its shape, which have seriously limited its effectiveness for performances of the Cleveland Orchestra during the years 1930–1958. The auditorium volume is small relative to the size of the audience, and this basic limitation makes it difficult to achieve the optimum reverberation time for orchestral music. Severance Hall was originally built with a theater stage to make possible the presentation of plays and operas. This has seriously limited its effective use by the orchestra, since a large fraction of the orchestral sound was lost through the thin stage ceiling and walls, and furthermore, the shapes of these surfaces were not good for projecting sound to the audience. The stage and auditorium were joined by an elaborate proscenium and a very heavy curtain which further reduced the sound transfer between stage and auditorium. Another major defect as regards shape in Severance Hall is the almost complete lack of wall or ceiling surfaces that could reflect sound to seats on the main floor. As a result, the sound reaching these areas has been low in intensity and lacks the effect produced by reflected sound mixed with direct sound. Another serious limitation is that on both sides and rear of the main floor there are coupled promenade spaces of such shape that sound entering them is almost entirely lost to the audience. The disposition of the boxes in Severance Hall is such that at either side they do not receive a balanced sound from the orchestra, and all boxes suffer from the fact that practically no reflected sound reaches them. This shape defect also affects a number of seats at the sides of the balcony. During 1958 a number of corrections were made in the acoustics of Severance Hall designed to rectify as much as possible the above conditions. An entirely new stage shell has been constructed of heavy wood and is tightly enclosed so that a large fraction of the orchestral sound is now projected to the audience. Furthermore, the shape of the stage shell provides a considerable amount of mixing and blending of the sound, which is a great advantage for the conductor and orchestra. This feature will also be important for the numerous recordings made by the Cleveland Orchestra. The material and design of the heavy wood shell, floor, and risers for the stage, were chosen to achieve a large measure of resonance. Another important modification is the complete removal of the proscenium and heavy curtain which in effect brings the orchestra out into the auditorium to a much greater degree. Finally, the heavy lined carpeting which was present throughout Severance Hall on all aisles, promenades, and under the seats, has been removed and replaced with an attractive vinyl the covering of low acoustical absorption. These modifications have made an enormous improvement in the quality and loudness of orchestral music in Severance Hall and are highly approved by the concert audience.