From discoveries of 1990s measurements to acoustic simulations of three sceneries carried out inside the San Carlo Theatre of Naples

Abstract

Many acoustic studies have been conducted in the San Carlo Theatre of Naples over the centuries. The discovery of valuable acoustic measurements from 1998 led the authors to photograph the architectural and acoustic conditions of the Theatre prior to restoration works in 2008. As the first opera house built in Europe, the San Carlo Theatre has always offered a rich artistic programme, making this historic building synonymous with classical music in Naples. From the great variety of operas, three specific sceneries have been selected to analyse the acoustic response based on different geometries and materials located on stage. Acoustic simulations have been performed based on site measurements, starting from a digital model that reproduces the geometry and absorbing coefficients of the materials existing in the Theatre. Using the recorded impulse response, the monoaural and binaural acoustic parameters have been obtained from the acoustic simulations and thereafter compared among the Elektra, Traviata, and La clemenza di Tito sceneries. The results in terms of reverberation highlight that La clemenza di Tito absorbs the high frequencies better than the other two sceneries. Under a clarity perspective, all the sceneries have values above the optimal range limit set for opera houses, although it is typical of other opera theatres built in the same period. A detailed historical background on the architectural changes of the San Carlo Theatre over the centuries is also given to understand the digital reconstruction that modelled the acoustic behaviour of this prominent cultural heritage building.