Book Review
The Soundscape of Modernity: Architectural Acoustics and the Culture of Listening in America, 1900-1933
by Emily Thompson
This book was surprisingly fascinating, and illuminated a lot about the advance of modernity in the early 20th century. Thompson covers the rise of architectural acoustics as a scientific discipline, the development of acoustical building materials, and the advancement of electro-acoustic technologies. She also addresses the cultural and societal changes that were connected with these technologies and includes the art and entertainment that came about as a result: sound films, electronic music, and modernist music.
Thompson's prose and presentation of her material create a very readable, compelling narrative even when covering so many disparate aspects of her subject. Plus, Thompson makes everything interesting, even the details of acoustical tile design and composition. I came away with new understanding of life in this period, and of how architecture influences not just what we see but what we hear.
by Emily Thompson
This book was surprisingly fascinating, and illuminated a lot about the advance of modernity in the early 20th century. Thompson covers the rise of architectural acoustics as a scientific discipline, the development of acoustical building materials, and the advancement of electro-acoustic technologies. She also addresses the cultural and societal changes that were connected with these technologies and includes the art and entertainment that came about as a result: sound films, electronic music, and modernist music.
Thompson's prose and presentation of her material create a very readable, compelling narrative even when covering so many disparate aspects of her subject. Plus, Thompson makes everything interesting, even the details of acoustical tile design and composition. I came away with new understanding of life in this period, and of how architecture influences not just what we see but what we hear.