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Tuesday, 30th September 2008 (816 views)

Statues and balconies adorned in gold leaf contribute to the "glorious" acoustics of a concert hall in Austria, it has been claimed.

Around 50 life-size female sculptures are positioned around the Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) of the Musikverein in Vienna.

These gold-gilded works help to provide the quality sound enjoyed by classical music aficionados that gather to watch shows at the venue, according to the blog written by Tom Service for the Guardian website.

It is home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, where they play their famous New Year's Day concerts, he noted.

And he stated that acousticians have proved that the opulent surroundings of the hall are key to the rich sound that is produced, as soundwaves bounce off the different surfaces, creating a "sonic radiance".

Gold is often used in audio equipment, such as in interconnecting cables, as it is a 'non-ageing' material that maintains the quality of such apparatus, states the Elco Audio website.

 

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