Haha, I had a girlfriend there, so music wasn’t always my top priority when visiting. I’m afraid the majority of my experience of live classical music in Paris was gained many years later and mostly consists of symphonic and operatic performances at the larger venues. I’ve actually never been to either Salle Cortot or Salle Gaveau.
I would however imagine that venues for live performances are chosen mostly on commercial grounds, I am guessing factors such as capacity, location, existing commercial or personal relationships, availability of things like a piano, availability of the venue itself etc. are the main drivers and sound quality may come well down the list. For performances where a recording is planned, live or not, then I would imagine (hope?) sound quality would be a more significant factor.
Regarding classical music performances in churches, I would point out that much western religious music, which forms a significant part of the overall western classical oeuvre, was written to be performed in churches. Perhaps for that reason I find the reverberant acoustic entirely appropriate for things like a Bach Passion or Chorale, or a Requiem. It is quite simply the contextually correct acoustic, regardless of how one might judge it “from a hi-fi perspective”.
I can’t speak for all classical music lovers but in my case, the hall acoustic can make or break a live performance.
Baroque music in general especially quieter instruments like a harpsichord - Wigmore hall is ~500 seat venue so on the small to medium size for a recital but still larger than the salons in which baroque music. Still it can work.
Most extreme case for me was seeing Chris Thile play solo Bach in our Koerner Hall (a little boasting, but one of the very best halls in the world). We were seated centre hall and the performance was spell binding - the acoustic gently amplified his mandolin - at the same time you could hear a pin drop. Ditto for the small ensemble Savall recitals I’ve heard in the same hall. Sitting a little closer to the stage does help
There is a tendency to closely mic baroque instruments and in some recordings increase the loudness. This amplifies the crunchy sound of gut strings which need a bit of space to mellow out. Hearing a small baroque ensemble live can be quite a different experience than recorded music.
This is a fascinating and worthwhile subject that really needs a thread of its own.
So, yes, @Simon_C , I could ( and have) attended Wigmore Hall but tit requires quite a lot of arranging and assistance that may need to be a bit extra. BTW, The sound in the hall is superb due to its size, shape ( a shoebox), no raked seating and the Arts & Crafts movement acoustic reflector above the stage.
Agreed @Urbanluthier that it may not be ideal for baroque music, or at least some. However much such music was written for private performance and before public concerts as we know them existed. Yes, recordings may not be ideal too. I think many recordings are made to sound, er, just like records It’s what the public likes and what sells.
That’s a good point re music written before concerts really existed. It is often said that we cannot understand the sound of music written before the industrial age because the world has become so much louder. Quite apart from the differing social and economic situations and all they lead to.
I’ve played in the Wigmore many times. It’s a marvellous hall for some things, indeed for much which is programmed in it, but it has its limitations.
I’ve played in Salle Cortot too - I remember it being very nice indeed. Warm but more transparent than the Wigmore for example, as far as I recall.
It’s what the public likes and what sells.