What Makes a Great Concert Hall? Reading Answer

May 22, 2025

What Makes a Great Concert Hall? is an IELTS Reading Answer that contains 14 questions and needs to be completed within 20 minutes. This reading answer also helps you to prepare for your IELTS exam. What Makes a Great Concert Hall? Consists of questions like: Choose the correct letter and Does the statement agree with the passage? Participants should go through the IELTS Reading passage to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions. Also, What Makes a Great Concert Hall? Reading Answers talks about concert hall acoustics and architecture. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Topic:

What Makes a Great Concert Hall?

Think of the great concert halls in the world and some famous venues immediately come to mind: Sydney's iconic Opera House, Carnegie Hall in New York, Germany's Berlin Philharmonie and Tokyo's Opera City Concert Hall. Two features stand out for each venue: the architectural lines which mark out the uniqueness of the structure, and the acoustic brilliance of each building, which elevates the sound to an almost new, ethereal, experience.

But what makes a great concert hall? Is it simply a case of selecting the right location, ensuring enough seats and good sightlines, and letting the music loose? The concert hall is more than that, hosting a variety of performance genres and musical styles, so the acoustic requirements are demanding, and, as a result of years of experience, have now been lifted to a science. However, an interesting point is raised. If the acoustics - that is, the overall sound, of the concert hall is now a science, how have some of the great concert halls of the world, which are also some of the oldest, such as Vienna's Musikverein, where Brahms and Mahler conducted, and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, managed to capture the magic of sound before the art of acoustics had been moved to a science? What secrets did the architects and engineers of old know that enabled them to design and construct buildings that have stood the test of time in delivering the magic of music at such continuing exalted heights? A simple analysis of some of the fundamental requirements of the delivery of sound reveals that some basic understanding of acoustic requirements has long been evident and has been successfully applied in the oldest, and, indeed, also the newest, and most loved buildings of our time.

It appears that over time, as the presentation of music in a formal setting has evolved, the design of the basic 'shoebox' shape of an auditorium has been settled on. Earlier versions of concert halls in the form of traditional amphitheatres and fan-shaped halls suffered from poor acoustics, so, years of 'trial-and-error' have seen the concept of the long and narrow hall with, importantly, side sound reflectors, adapted as the best medium to deliver the optimum sound for concert-goers. Some of the key elements were recognised early on as to what was required to deliver the best sound, and among those were the need to get rid of unwanted noises, the ability to allow the orchestra to attain dynamics of sound equally, whether at a low or high volume, and to maintain a clear and somewhat equal sound throughout the auditorium.

Comparing the sound of an outdoor concert and a concert at an indoor concert hall, it can be recognised that the difference is that the outdoor sound is thin, and directional, and distant, that is, coming straight from the source, which may be some way away, whereas in a concert hall, the sound seems to surround the listener, even for those who are some distance from the source. Interestingly, after the source of the music has stopped, the sound appears to reverberate so that the listener seems to be totally enveloped by the sound, both spatially and time-wise. Inside a concert hall, the two important elements are that sound is divided between direct sound, and reflected sound - direct sound being the primary source which reaches the ear, and reflected sound that bounces off the walls and ceiling. These two sounds arrive at the listeners' ears at slightly differing times and slightly different volumes, which add to the concept of being enveloped by the sound, often referred to as 'surround sound'.

Once this concept was realised by the early engineers and architects of concert halls, designs were put in place to enhance these discoveries. The most important was the discovery of the 'shoebox' design, the rectangular, elongated shape which allowed the maximum re-direction of sound through reflectors, often hung from the sides of the concert hall, and now employed to be hung from the ceilings as well. This ensured the sound waves, known as 'lateral reflections', were being directed towards the audience from all angles, enhancing the sound volume and timing, and, thus, quality. Research and science have continued to more fully realize the extent of sound delivery, looking at the frequencies, both high and low, and the optimum delivery of the sound as intended by the composer and the conductor and orchestra.

Some of the great concert halls, both old and new, have incorporated the concepts of sound delivery magnificently. Austria's Musikverein has been noted by some as the best concert hall in the world, where the quietest of sounds seem to issue delicately from the stage, while a rising crescendo completely envelops the audience from all directions. In the United States, Boston's Symphony Hall based its shoebox design on a traditional German hall, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, but used the then-modern physics from Harvard University to ensure that the sound would be the best possible. In Sao Paolo, Brazil, in the 1990s, a new venue, the Sala Sao Paolo, was opened that copied proportions from the old; its width the same as Boston's Symphony Hall, and the length and height identical to Vienna's Musikverein, but modern technology is also incorporated, with its huge adjustable ceiling. Tokyo has the Opera City Concert Hall which, again, is based on the traditional rectangular shoebox with its two levels of side-seating, but like Sao Paolo, it has a unique feature, an enormous wood-panelled pyramid-shaped ceiling.

Finally, it is worth looking at one concert hall for some salient lessons. London's Royal Festival Hall, a 2,900-seater, was completed in 1951, and was designed using the best acoustic science concepts of the day, intending to emulate the sound of the great concert halls. Unfortunately, it was immediately realised that the sound quality was poor, for varying reasons, with comments such as the sound being 'too dry' and different frequencies of sound suffering. In the 1960s, an 'assisted resonance system' was employed, using the modern electronics of the day, and over the next 30 years, re-modelling was accomplished, including reducing the number of seats by 400, changing the tiling and fabric of the walls and ceiling, and adding acoustic canopies Today, with the knowledge of the science of sound, and the gathered wisdom of decades, even centuries, of construction of concert halls, the Royal Festival Hall, home of the London Philharmonic, now stands as a great concert venue, with its own unique sound contributing to the legacy of the magnificent concert halls of the world.

Questions 27 - 32

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? Write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

27. The main criteria in making a concert hall great are its location, seating and sightlines.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "Is it simply a case of selecting the right location, ensuring enough seats and good sightlines, and letting the music loose? The concert hall is more than that..."

Keywords: location, seats, sightlines

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 1

Explanation: The passage questions whether location, seating, and sightlines are enough to make a great concert hall and clearly states that it’s more than that, indicating these are not the only or main criteria.

28. Older concert halls did not have good acoustic features.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "How have some of the great concert halls of the world, which are also some of the oldest... managed to capture the magic of sound before the art of acoustics had been moved to a science?"

Keywords: older, great concert halls, acoustics

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 5

Explanation: The statement implies that older concert halls did have excellent acoustics even before modern science formalized acoustics, which contradicts the given statement.

29. The 'shoebox' design has the same acoustics as amphitheaters.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "Earlier versions of concert halls in the form of traditional amphitheatres and fan-shaped halls suffered from poor acoustics..."

Keywords: shoebox, amphitheatres, poor acoustics

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line 2

Explanation: The comparison indicates amphitheatres had poor acoustics, whereas the shoebox shape was developed to address those issues, showing they do not have the same acoustics.

30. Inside a concert hall, the listener receives sound from not only the stage, but from different directions as well.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "...the sound seems to surround the listener... sound is divided between direct sound, and reflected sound..."

Keywords: surround, reflected sound, direct sound

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 4

Explanation: This supports the idea that listeners receive sound from multiple directions, not just from the stage, due to the interaction of direct and reflected sound.

31. All concert halls now use reflectors to direct the sound from the walls and from the ceiling.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: While the passage mentions reflectors in some concert halls, it does not state that all concert halls use them. Therefore, there isn’t enough information to determine this as true or false.

32. Research has now determined that high and low frequencies determine the best sound delivery.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "Research and science have continued to more fully realize the extent of sound delivery, looking at the frequencies, both high and low..."

Keywords: high and low frequencies, sound delivery

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 6

Explanation: The statement clearly indicates that research into sound delivery includes understanding high and low frequencies, which confirms the importance of these in achieving optimal acoustics.

Questions 33 - 35

The article details various facts about some of the famous concert halls. Match the concert halls (A - F) with the information provided about them.

NB: Some letters might not be used, and some letters might be used more than once.

Write the appropriate letter (A - F).

A. Amsterdam's Concertgebouw

B. Sydney's Opera House

C. Vienna's Musikverein

D. London's Royal Festival Hall

E. Sao Paolo's Sala Sao Paolo

F. Tokyo's Opera City Concert Hall

G. Boston's Symphony Hall

H. Leipzig's Gewandhaus

33. An example of an older-style concert hall that used scientific principles to enhance its sound.

Answer: G. Boston's Symphony Hall

Supporting statement: "Boston's Symphony Hall based its shoebox design on a traditional German hall... but used the then-modern physics from Harvard University to ensure that the sound would be the best possible."

Keywords: Boston, older-style, modern physics

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 3

Explanation: Boston Symphony Hall combined old European design with modern scientific principles, making it an example of older style enhanced by science.

34. This modern concert hall borrowed design features from multiple great old concert halls.

Answer: E. Sao Paolo's Sala Sao Paolo

Supporting statement: "Its width the same as Boston's Symphony Hall, and the length and height identical to Vienna's Musikverein..."

Keywords: Sao Paolo, borrowed design, Vienna, Boston

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 5

Explanation: The passage explains how Sala Sao Paolo mimics the proportions of both Vienna's and Boston's concert halls, showing it draws from multiple older halls.

35. A concert hall that has seen famous composers leading orchestras.

Answer: C. Vienna's Musikverein

Supporting statement: "...Vienna's Musikverein, where Brahms and Mahler conducted..."

Keywords: Brahms, Mahler, conducted, Vienna

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 5

Explanation: The passage directly states that notable composers like Brahms and Mahler conducted at the Musikverein, confirming its historical musical significance.

Questions 36 - 37

The article details various facts about some of the famous concert halls. Match the concert halls (A - F) with the information provided about them.

NB: Some letters might not be used, and some letters might be used more than once.

Write the appropriate letter (A - F).

A. Amsterdam's Concertgebouw

B. Sydney's Opera House

C. Vienna's Musikverein

D. London's Royal Festival Hall

E. Sao Paolo's Sala Sao Paolo

F. Tokyo's Opera City Concert Hall

G. Boston's Symphony Hall

H. Leipzig's Gewandhaus

36. The claim has been made that this is the finest concert hall in the world.

Answer: C. Vienna's Musikverein

Supporting statement: "Austria's Musikverein has been noted by some as the best concert hall in the world..."

Keywords: Musikverein, best concert hall

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 1

Explanation: The passage explicitly claims the Musikverein is considered by some to be the finest concert hall globally.

37. A concert hall that used electronics to enhance the different sound frequencies.

Answer: D. London’s Royal Festival Hall

Supporting statement: "...an 'assisted resonance system' was employed, using the modern electronics of the day..."

Keywords: electronics, resonance system, Royal Festival Hall

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, Line 3

Explanation: The Royal Festival Hall implemented an electronic system to address acoustic issues, showing use of technology to enhance sound.

Questions 38 - 40

Choose the appropriate letters.

38. The sound quality of the great concert halls of the world

A. is solely the result of science and technology.

B. has improved with modern discoveries in acoustic research and technology.

C. varies according to design.

D. depends on the architect's knowledge of sound frequencies.

Answer: B. has improved with modern discoveries in acoustic research and technology.

Supporting statement: "Research and science have continued to more fully realize the extent of sound delivery..."

Keywords: research, science, sound delivery

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 6

Explanation: The passage discusses how ongoing research has improved our understanding and delivery of concert hall sound, confirming option B.

39. 'Lateral reflections'

A. are sound waves that come from the ceiling.

B. are received by the listener at the same time as direct waves.

C. are used primarily in the world's greatest modern concert halls.

D. ensure that sound is directed and received at its highest quality.

Answer: D. ensure that sound is directed and received at its highest quality.

Supporting statement: "...lateral reflections, were being directed towards the audience from all angles, enhancing the sound volume and timing, and, thus, quality."

Keywords: lateral reflections, sound quality

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 5

Explanation: The text explains how lateral reflections improve both timing and quality of sound, validating option D.

40. London's Royal Festival Hall

A. underwent a number of changes over many years to improve the quality of the sound.

B. copied its design from the great traditional concert halls

C. suffered primarily from poor frequency of sound.

D. had poor quality seating.

Answer: A. underwent a number of changes over many years to improve the quality of the sound.

Supporting statement: "...over the next 30 years, re-modelling was accomplished... Today... the Royal Festival Hall... now stands as a great concert venue..."

Keywords: changes, 30 years, remodeling, improve sound

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, Lines 4–6

Explanation: The Hall underwent decades of acoustic remodeling, including technological and structural updates, confirming choice A.

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