Opinion: Half of the reason to listen to choral works is the acoustics in the recording

**** Can we agree that at least most liturgical choral music was written with some anticipation of the acoustic in which it would be performed. ****

And not only choral music; orchestral as well. Not the specific acoustic in either case. That would be too limiting, but certainly the type of acoustic; large performance spaces with at least decent clarity and reverberation. The great orchestral composers did and do orchestrate with the idea in mind that, heard from a distance, (audience) instrumental (and choral) sounds and specific combinations of instrumental sounds will blend in a particular way to create tonal colors that don’t manifest themselves heard up close. That is the main musical problem with up close multi micing.

Add organ music to that thought. And I guess that’s because organ and large-scale choral are meant to be heard in a Spacious sanctuary and benefit from all the reverberations of a big hall. But yeah, something that puts me in a vaulted space is part of it.

Harley
Fifth Edition
Chapter 12
p.325,6