Editing David Geffen Hall (section)

==Acoustics==
{{Lincoln Center map|highlight=6}}
Architects hired the acoustical consulting division of [[Bolt, Beranek and Newman]] (BBN) to design the original interior acoustics for the hall. Their acousticians recommended a 2,400 seat "shoebox" design with narrowly spaced parallel sides (similar in shape to the acoustically acclaimed [[Symphony Hall, Boston]]). Lincoln Center officials initially agreed with the recommendation, and BBN provided a series of design specifications and recommendations. However, the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' began a campaign to increase the seating capacity of the new hall and late in the design stage it was expanded to accommodate the critics' desires, invalidating much of BBN's acoustical work.<ref name=rothstein>{{Cite news |last=Rothstein |first=Edward |date=May 22, 2004 |title=If Music Is the Architect . . . |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/22/arts/if-music-is-the-architect.html |access-date=October 9, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=May 2025|reason=This 2004 New York Times article makes no mention of revised plans/capacity, or of the New York Herald Tribune's commentary}} BBN engineers told Lincoln Center management the hall would sound different from their initial intent, but they could not predict what the changes would do.

The first of Lincoln Center's buildings to be completed, Philharmonic Hall opened September 23, 1962, to mixed reviews.<ref name="Jinxed & reopen 2022"> {{Cite news |last=Kimmelman |first=Michael |date=September 19, 2022 |title=A Notoriously Jinxed Concert Hall Is Reborn, Again |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/arts/music/david-geffen-hall-reopening-lincoln-center.html |access-date=October 9, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The concert, featuring [[Leonard Bernstein]], the New York Philharmonic, and a host of operatic stars such as [[Eileen Farrell]] and [[Robert Merrill]], was televised live on [[CBS]]. The opening week of concerts included performances by a specially invited list of guest orchestras (Boston, Philadelphia, and Cleveland), who regularly appeared at [[Carnegie Hall]] each season, as well as the new hall's resident ensemble. Several reporters panned the hall, while at least two conductors praised the acoustics. While the initial intention had been that Philharmonic Hall would replace Carnegie Hall, which could then be demolished, that did not happen.<ref name=Carnegie>{{cite web |title=1960 Carnegie Hall is saved from demolition |url=http://www.carnegiehall.org/History/Timeline/Timeline.aspx?id=4294968812 |website=Carnegie Hall Corporation |access-date=November 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129012747/http://www.carnegiehall.org/History/Timeline/Timeline.aspx?id=4294968812 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Management made several attempts to remedy the induced acoustical problems, with little success, leading to a substantial 1970s renovation designed by acoustician [[Cyril M. Harris|Cyril Harris]] in conjunction with project architect [[Philip Johnson]]. It included demolishing the hall's interior, selling its pipe organ to California's [[Crystal Cathedral organ|Crystal Cathedral]], and rebuilding a new auditorium within the outer framework and facade.  While initial reaction to the improvements was favorable and some advocates remained steadfast,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/28/arts/music-carnegie-hall-vs-fisher-hall.html |title=Carnegie Hall vs. Fisher Hall |first=Will |last=Crutchfield |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 28, 1987 |access-date=February 9, 2015}}</ref> overall feelings about the new hall's sound soured and acoustics there continued to be problematic. One assessment by Robert C. Ehle stated:

<blockquote>The seating capacity is large (around 2,600 seats) and the sidewalls are too far apart to provide early reflections to the center seats. The ceiling is high to increase reverberation time but the clouds are too high to reinforce early reflections adequately. The bass is weak because the very large stage does not adequately reinforce the low string instruments.<ref name=ehle>{{cite news |first=Robert C. |last=Ehle |title=What Does It Take to Make a Good Hall for Music? |magazine=Music Teacher International Magazine}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:DSAI DGH 0977-22.jpg|thumb|alt=Combination of shaped wood profiles and adjustable acoustic baffles to meet sound profile requirements|Various acoustic surface strategies are employed to meet the sound requirements]]

In December 1977, ''[[High Fidelity (magazine)|High Fidelity]]'' magazine published an article that stated members of the Philharmonic disliked the sound so much they referred to the venue as "A Very Fishy Hall."<ref>{{cite web |title=Yes Plugs In At The Garden |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-High-Fidelity/70s/High-Fidelity-1977-12.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309050454/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-High-Fidelity/70s/High-Fidelity-1977-12.pdf |archive-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> In 1992, under the tenure of [[Kurt Masur]] with the New York Philharmonic, several solid maple wood convex surfaces were installed on the side walls and suspended from the ceiling of the stage to improve acoustics. The maple was specially selected to minimize its grain pattern. The new components are filled with fiberglass to deaden vibrations.<ref name=kozinn2>{{cite news |title=Details Set for Avery Fisher Renovation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/05/arts/details-set-for-avery-fisher-renovation.html |last=Kozinn |first=Allan |date=August 5, 1992 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=February 21, 2014 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

The ongoing problems with the hall's acoustics eventually led the New York Philharmonic to consider a merger with Carnegie Hall in 2003, which would have returned the Philharmonic to Carnegie Hall for most of its concerts each season. However, both sides abandoned talks after four months.<ref name=wise>{{cite news |url=http://www.wnyc.org/music/articles/16555 |first=Brian |last=Wise |title=New York Philharmonic to Carnegie Hall |work=[[WNYC]] |date=June 2, 2003 |access-date=February 21, 2014}}</ref><ref name=move>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/02/arts/the-philharmonic-agrees-to-move-to-carnegie-hall.html |title=The Philharmonic Agrees to Move to Carnegie Hall |newspaper=The New York Times |first1=Ralph |last1=Blumenthal |first2=Robin |last2=Pogrebin |date=June 2, 2003 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name=billboard>{{cite news |title=N.Y. Philharmonic, Carnegie Merger Off |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68748/ny-philharmonic-carnegie-merger-off |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=October 8, 2003 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>

In 2005 and 2006, the [[Mostly Mozart Festival]] experimented with extending the front of stage to improve acoustics.<ref name=oestreich>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/03/arts/music/03most.html |title=An Intimate Stage Plan for the Mostly Mozart Festival |work=The New York Times |first=James R. |last=Oestreich |date=May 3, 2005 |access-date=February 21, 2014}}</ref><ref name=mozart>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/arts/music/new-vigor-new-program-new-stage-the-rejuvenation-of-mostly.html?pagewanted=all |title=New Vigor, New Program, New Stage: The Rejuvenation of Mostly Mozart |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Anthony |last=Tommasini |date=August 31, 2005 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

A major goal of the $550 million renovation of David Geffen Hall, from 2020 to 2022, was to improve the acoustics in the main concert hall. According to [[Zachary Woolfe]] of ''The New York Times'', the renovation substantially improved the acoustics, but some significant acoustical problems remained.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Woolfe |first1=Zachary |author1-link= Zachary Woolfe|title=How the Philharmonic's New Home Sounds, From Any Seat |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/arts/music/new-york-philharmonic-geffen-hall-renovation-acoustics.html |url-access=subscription |url-status= live |newspaper=The New York Times |date= October 21, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221023214512/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/arts/music/new-york-philharmonic-geffen-hall-renovation-acoustics.html  |archive-date= October 23, 2022 |access-date= August 15, 2024 }}</ref>