Article December 13, 1900 Issue

Symphony Hall

The Great Round World

It seems eminently fitting that the new Symphony Hall in Boston should have proved on its opening so complete a success, for Boston possesses a high record for the study and presentation of the best music. The new building was dedicated on October 15 with the presentation of Beethoven's Solemn Mass in D—one of the most inspiring, yet most difficult to render, of all musical compositions. The acoustics of the new hall is practically perfect.

The matter of acoustics is of especial interest, as the results in this case followed an almost incredible amount of study. Mr. W. C. Sabine, Assistant Professor of Physics at Harvard, assumed responsibility for the acoustics of Symphony Hall, and undertook scientific experiments to furnish the basis of his work. He began by studying the duration of reverberation, and then determined the power of various building and furnishing materials—lath, plaster, cushions, draperies, etc.—to absorb sound. Five years of this work enabled him to lay down rules for the construction of Symphony Hall, so that the results achieved have been practically identical with his hopes. To have done this is to have instituted a definite method for meeting a problem which hitherto has been regarded as depending more upon chance than upon rule.—The Great Round World.

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