Acoustics and aesthetics of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus

What is it about?

The Bayreuth Festspielhaus (BF) is unique; the theatre was conceived by Richard Wagner to host the complex of Ring and it was opened in 1876. After this date, the BF played a key role in the development of the modern opera house and no other opera house is so discussedamongnon acousticians for its acoustics. Some solutions applied for the first time in this theatre influenced later opera houses: the position of all seats within the line of sight of the stage, the dimming of the lights during representations, the double proscenium arch and–the most relevant one–the use of a deep orchestra pit (mystic gulf). However, in spite of the worldwide fame of the BF, the values assumed by the main room acoustics criteria in this hall have been reported and analysed in few works. The aim of the present work is to analyse the key role played by BF in the history of the opera basing on acoustic measurements and then propose tools for an immersive virtual experience of this space.

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