Possible Merits of the Orchestra Pit Covering for Speech Activities in Baroque Theatres
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Acoustically, Baroque theatres have prove remarkably appropriate for opera, and, in the past, little distinction was drawn in design between drama and opera use, except for the inclusion of an orchestra pit, because both music and words were audible and balanced, reverberation times being shorter than in concert halls but longer than in speech auditoria. In a drama configuration, scenery is set in the fly tower on stage, while for opera pieces, in most cases, the orchestra pit platform raises to the main floor level of the stalls to set additional seats rows. Considering the characteristics of the Opera di Roma (IT), the case study, the main physical parameters that contribute to the sound quality are evaluated and compared in relation to the pit position level, in order to understand the possible merits of the covering seats on the pit surface for drama representations and, more generally, for speech activities. Eight different configurations are compared and, to evaluate the acoustic parameters’ sensitivity, the JND (just noticeable difference) is analyzed. The parameters’ trend is described.
Source: Applied Sciences
DOI: 10.3390/app16020819
Authors: Silvana Sukaj, Umberto Derme, Gino Iannace
Language: English
Topic: Speech and Audio Processing
Subfield: Signal Processing
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W7123792003
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