A Sociological Reflection on the Concert Venue

Arts sociology has shown a recent interest in space as a factor that influences cultural behavior. In the context of music, a sociological approach to the concert venue looks at the urban space where music is performed, often focusing, for example, on the spectacular new concert buildings of recent years. This chapter compares the usual with the extra-ordinary and the supra-ordinary concert space, critically reflecting on the “unusual concert hall” of the twenty-first century. At present, this type of hall is often only a tool for urban redevelopment, a magnet for leisure activities, a means of postindustrial urban development, or a landmark for a city. The central component of music mediation—that is, the autonomy of music—is neglected.