he first question any lover of classical music usually asb an acoustician is, "Which are the best halls in the world?" The response-the three halls rated highest by world-praised conductors and music critics of the largest newspapers were built in 1870, 1888, and 1900-always prompts the next query: "Why are those so good while many halls built after 1950 seem to be mediocre or failures?" You will find answers to these questions in this book the result of a half-century's research into the very complex field of acoustics of halls for music. The dialog re-enacted above bears a close resemblance to another illustration that typically troubles music lovers. They frequently asl | Concert Halls and Opera Houses by Leo Beranek, Paperback | Indigo Chapters