This classic reference on musical acoustics and performance practice begins with a brief introduction to the fundamentals of acoustics and the generation of musical sounds. It then discusses the particulars of the sounds made by all the standard instruments in a modern orchestra as well as the human voice, the way in which the sounds made by these instruments are dispersed and how the room into which they are projected affects the sounds.
From the reviews of the fifth edition:
"The present book is a translation of the fifth German edition published in 2004. The translator, Uwe Hansen, deserves praise for the quality of his writing in the English language. ... Given the material in this text, orchestral musicians and conductors can ... appreciate how to use any given acoustical space most advantageously and acousticians and architects can optimize the spaces in which musical groups perform. ... The book will certainly benefit all those involved with musical performance." (Leo Beranek, International Journal of Acoustics and Vibration, Vol. 14 (2), 2009)
"The present book is a translation of the fifth German edition published in 2004. The translator, Uwe Hansen, deserves praise for the quality of his writing in the English language. ... Given the material in this text, orchestral musicians and conductors can ... appreciate how to use any given acoustical space most advantageously and acousticians and architects can optimize the spaces in which musical groups perform. ... The book will certainly benefit all those involved with musical performance." (Leo Beranek, International Journal of Acoustics and Vibration, Vol. 14 (2), 2009)