Can you hear it?
A scientific study investigating the Viennese music tradition
In a study conducted by our department, the question was examined as to which musical characteristics make up the “trademark” of the Vienna Philharmonic. Is it the instruments, a special playing technique of the musicians, the conductor, the recording technique...
From April 2001 to December 2001, almost 1000 participants took part in the study. In addition to more than 500 Austrians, numerous international musicians and music listeners also completed the “sounding questionnaire”. The task was to recognize one of two musical examples of the same orchestral passage, played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and to name the characteristics that could be used to distinguish it. The other example was either a recording by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra or the New York Philharmonic. (Vienna-Berlin-New York).
The Department of Music Acoustics, where this study was conducted by Dr. Matthias Bertsch, has been studying the characteristics and properties of this sound for years.
In March 2002, a series of events called “University meets Public” were held in Vienna, which also focused on the Viennese sound style.
Results
The final results and a scientific presentation of the study were published at the international acousticians' congress “Forum Akustikum 2002” in Sevilla (Spain). In addition, the editor-in-chief requested a longer article for the magazine “Das Orchester”. A preliminary evaluation was already presented at the World Congress on Acoustics in Rome (ICA) and the International Symposium on Music Acoustics ISMA in Perugia.
Respective articles
Bertsch, Matthias (2003)
"Hören Sie wienerisch? Eine Hörstudie zum Wiener Klangstil,"
Musikfreunde 15, 38-41.
Bertsch, Matthias (2003)
"Wiener Klangstil - Mythos oder Realität? Ergebnisse der Hörstudie "Hören Sie Wienerisch?" zur Erkennbarkeit des Wiener Klangstils in musikalischen Beispielen. (Habilschrift Teil 2),"
Schriftenreihe des Instituts für Wiener Klangstil (Musikalische Akustik) an der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. Band 5.
Bertsch, Matthias (2002)
"Can you identify the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra compared with the Berlin or New York Philharmonics?,"
Acta Acoustica.
Bertsch, Matthias (2002)
"Can you identify the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, compared with the Berlin or New York Philarmonic?,"
Proceedings of Forum Acusticum Sevilla 2002 2002, MUS-01-008.
Bertsch, Matthias (2002)
"Der Wiener Mythos. Der Wiener Orchesterklang: Ein Mythos auf dem Prüfstein,"
Das Orchester 50, 18 - 24.
Bertsch, Matthias (2001)
"A new search for acoustic ‘distinguishing marks’ of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,"
Proceedings of ICA .
Bertsch, Matthias (2001)
"Is there a typical orchestra signature in Vienna, Austria?,"
Proceedings of ISMA 1, 285-288.
The IWK would like to thank the following institutions and companies for their support and endorsement:
- Phonothek der Universitätsbibliothek an der Universität für Musik in Wien
- Herbert von Karajan Centrum, Wien
- AKG Acoustics, Wien
- Universal Music (Deutsche Grammophon), Wien
- Radio Stephansdom, Wien
- ARD / BR : Bayrisches Fernsehen, BRD
- ORF Radio Ö1, Wien
- ORF Kultur Redaktion
- University of Athens, Greek
- HAMU Praha, Czech
- Musikschule Linz
- Musikgymnasium Neustiftgasse, Wien
- Volksopernorchester Wien
- Tonmeister "Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH" Hamburg
- Emil Berliner Studios - Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Langenhagen
- Zeitschrift "Das Orchester"
- Zeitschrift "Profil"