A Sea-carved Concert Hall Inspires Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture
Seasick on a 1829 voyage to Staffa, Mendelssohn heard Fingal’s Cave’s diffuse acoustics and began drafting what would become the Hebrides Overture. Scientists explain the cave’s sound arises from hexagonal basalt columns formed as cooling lava cracked, creating a natural, complex acoustic chamber that has fascinated listeners and researchers for centuries.