Experimental Virtual Archaeological-Acoustics — Versailles (2019-2022)
Influence on 17/18th century instrument playing techniques at Versailles
Research project bringing together CY Cergy Paris Université, the Centre de recherche du château de Versailles and the Jean Le Rond ∂’Alembert Institute.
Within the general research program EVAA (Experimental Virtual Archaeological-Acoustics), centralizing several studies on heritage acoustics with the use of acoustic simulations and virtual reality, the so-called “EVAA_Ver” project aims to carry out a multimodal study of the influence of rooms on the playing techniques of musicians playing instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries and whose performance is located in Versailles.
A doctoral thesis grant by the Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine (FSP) brings together researchers from several institutions : CY Cergy Paris Université, Centre de recherche du château de Versailles and Institut Jean Le Rond ∂’Alembert.
The PhD project consists of assisting in the creation of a real-time room acoustic simulator for use with musicians, taking into account the musicians movements and the impact of dynamic source directivity. The simulator will be put into use for studying the impact of room acoustics on musicians playing, focusing on comparisons between Baroque chamber music venues and classical period equivalents (Berlioz time).
The thesis work will contribute to the research and documentation of pertinent venues, acoustic measurements of existing venues, and the creation of ecologically valid geometrical acoustics models of some of these venues. The thesis will include a series of perceptual studies examining the impact of acoustic variations on playing, in the context of historically informed performance methods.
Access the project web portal EVAA
The project EVAA is coordinated under the Sound Spaces working group, of the group Lutheries - Acoustique - Musique (LAM), at the Institut Jean Le Rond ∂’Alembert, Sorbonne Université and CNRS. EVAA is supported by the Collegium Musicae Institute of Sorbonne Université.
Team
Mathieu da Vinha, Scientific director, Centre de recherche du château de Versailles;
Delphine Desbourdes, Research officer, Centre de recherche du château de Versailles;
Nolan Eley, PhD student, CY Cergy Paris Université (Laboratoire ETIS) and Sorbonne Université (Institut Jean Le Rond ∂’Alembert - Groupe Lutheries - Acoustique - Musique);
Michel Jordan, Research engineer, CY Cergy Paris Université - Laboratoire ETIS;
Marguerite Jossic, Researcher, Laboratoire de recherche et de conservation, musée de la Musique;
Brian FG Katz, Research director at the CNRS, Sorbonne Université - Institut Jean Le Rond ∂’Alembert;
Catherine Lavandier, University professor, CY Cergy Paris Université - Laboratoire ETIS;
Nicolas Priniotakis, in charge of the “patrimoine et visualisation 3D” Vocational Bachelor’s degree, CY Cergy Paris Université - Laboratoire ETIS;
Benjamin Ringot, Project manager research and Research officer, Centre de recherche du château de Versailles;
Stéphane Vaiededlich, Head of the Laboratoire de recherche et de conservation, musée de la Musique.
Actions completed
Modelling of the salon des Nobles by the students of the Métiers du numérique (LPMN) Vocational Bachelor’s degree at CY Cergy Paris Université (2019-2020);
Acoustic measures in June 2020 in the salon des Nobles in order to calibrate the acoustic model built by Nolan Eley with CATT software using the geometric data of the Métiers du numérique (LPMN) Vocational Bachelor’s degree group from CY Cergy Paris Université;
Recording with musicians (a traverso, a viol and a theorbo) on 6 April 2021 in the salon des Nobles to capture a number of sound extracts (Marin Marais for the viol, Hotteterre for the traverso, and Robert de Visée for the theorbo) then noting on a form how they perceived the playing in situ in order to compare it subsequently in a simulation room;
Presentation on the progress of the work for the thesis by Nolan Eley on Monday 5 July 2021 with the demonstration, among other things, of his work on the virtual reality room he set up at Jussieu using the acoustic and visual modelling of the salon des Nobles at the Palace of Versailles and the amphitheatre at the Cité de la Musique;
Thesis defense: “Multimodal study of the influence of rooms on playing techniques of musicians on 17th and 18th century instruments at Versailles” by Nolan Eley directed by Catherine Lavandier and Brian Katz, École doctorale: Économie, Management, Mathématiques, Physique et Sciences Informatiques (EM2PSI), CY Cergy Paris Université, with the support of the Fondation des sciences du patrimoine (FSP), on April 12, 2023.
Publications :
- Nolan Eley, Catherine Lavandier, Brian F.G. Katz, Thédora Psychoyou, “A custom feature set for analyzing historically informed baroque performances”, 24th international congress on acoustics, 2022;
- Nolan Eley, Catherine Lavandier, Théodora Psychoyou, Marguerite Jossic, Brian F.G. Katz, “Performance analysis of solo baroque music played in a period and modern hall”, 16th french acoustics congress of the French Acoustic Society (SFA), 2022.
