SIPARIO
Sound: The Intangible Art of the Performing Arts – Research on Italian Theatres for Opera
Project code: E91B18000440007 - PG/2018/632038
Programme: POR FESR 2014-2020 - Asse 1 Azione 1.2.2. - S3 E: Industrie Culturali e Creative
Call: BANDO 2018 Progetti di ricerca industriale strategica rivolti agli ambiti prioritari della Strategia di Specializzazione intelligente
Music, Sound and Architectural Acoustics are internationally recognized as an important Intangible Cultural Heritage. Italian-style Opera-houses are among the most important historical building in Europe, some of them are included in the UNESCO heritage list. This research aims to link several Opera Houses in the Emilia Romagna region to the European network of historical theatres, adding the information about sound propagation to the historical descriptions already available. The measurements of proper Impulse Responses (IRs) in these opera houses allow understanding the acoustics of these important spaces. Besides, it allows the 3D auralisation (i.e. virtual playback of the sound distribution in the rooms) in specific listening rooms, preserving this information for the posterity. The team at University of Bologna has developed a new method to measure the spatial (3D) IRs in rooms that allows the complete spatial sound analysis. It is aimed at creating easy-to-understand images and videos showing the direction-of-arrival of the room reflections, and storing this information for the posterity. The method is based on the measurements of the IRs by means of a set of probes. The first microphone (mono omnidirectional) allows determining the conventional monoaural acoustic parameters and is considered as a "reference" microphone. The second probe consists of a binaural microphone, used during binaural or stereo auralisation. The third one consists of a 4-channel B-format probe, used during Ambisonic auralisation. The forth one consists of a compact microphone array employing a much larger number of transducers, that is used to measure and playback higher-order 3D Impulse Responses in a spherical and cylindrical array. Combining these methods, it is possible both to listen to the sound effects in the opera houses and watching the video containing all early reflections propagation in a panoramic background image of the room.
Project duration
08.2019 – 08.2021
Scientific project head for the Department
Coordinator
Gruppo C.S.A. S.p.A.
Partnership
CSA Spa, Rimini
CIRI-EC, Bologna
CIDEA, Parma
CFR, Ferrara
Comune di Faenza
LookLine Srl, Massa Finalese (MO)
Kriterion Snc, Castenaso (BO)
Total Budget: 807.500,00 Euros
DA Budget: 278.750,00 Euros
Lecturers and researchers connected to the project
Francesca MERLI (Assegnista)
ERC sector project
PE2_12 Acoustics
SH5_5 Visual arts, performing arts, design
SH5_8 Music and musicology, history of music
SH5_11 Cultural heritage, cultural memory
PE7_7 Signal processing