The ever-evolving relationship of music and architecture chronicled in new monograph

Take a tour of Europe’s rich heritage of music and architecture courtesy of this new monograph from Thomas Aujero Small and Wallpaper* contributor Michael Webb. Subtitled ‘Opera Houses and Concert Halls of Europe, 1672–2022’, the duo’s new book from ORO Editions is both architour and musical history lesson, tracing the association between opera, aristocracy, and architecture over the centuries.

Bavarian State Opera, Munich (Image credit: Geoffroy Schied)

Discover the powerful relationship between music and architecture

In total, there are ninety featured halls, ranging from the gilded excesses of high Baroque (like the magnificent Markgräfliches Opernhaus in Bayreuth) to modern iterations of the opera house, from sculptural Brutalism through to Baroque’s contemporary equal, the ultra-high-modernism of projects like Herzog & de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Oslo Opera House by Snøhetta.

Oslo Opera House by Snøhetta (Image credit: Martina Pipprich)

Webb brings his architectural knowledge to bear on the physical form of the concert hall, and how changing modes of performance, taste and technology have seen the form factor evolve. The role of the acoustician is also considered in detail, with interviews with the legendary Yasuhisa Toyota, exploring not just how the expression and projection of sound have shaped modern halls but also how classical structures have been subtly updated to keep track of the times.

Cloud Tower, Grafenegg, Austria, designed by next ENTERprise (Image credit: Klaus Vyhnalek)

Thomas Aujero Small is a music impresario and writer who contributes to ConcertoNet, one of the longest-running online classical music portals. Together, the duo travelled around Europe to undertake what sounds like very enjoyable research – visiting halls, attending concerts, etc. Nearly 200 images capture the scale, grandeur and richness of the venues.

Grande Salle Pierre Boulez, Philharmonie de Paris, Ateliers Jean Nouvel (Image credit: Philharmonie de Paris)

The book is arranged chronologically, with a special focus on Europe’s so-called musical capitals - Berlin, Vienna, Paris, Prague and London. If nothing else, the monograph provides the enthusiast with the ultimate bucket list of performance venues, complete with helpful histories of artistic directors, orchestras, opera companies and festivals.