Acoustics at the Manoel Theatre : music performance, listening, and ambiences

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the behaviour of sound within the Manoel Theatre. The study aims at providing an evaluation mainly from the performers’ perspective. This research delves into diverse methods of inquiry, mainly by researching theories from the mathematical and architectural sciences, literature, and informal conversations with experts from their respective fields. The experiment involves an onsite fieldwork which will include, data collection through the use of specific equipment, such as, the use of a reference microphone in order to obtain scientific data from the programme ‘WaveLab’, and conversations with experts in the field of architecture, archaeology, and sound engineering. Questionnaires, together with the experiment proposed, hopes to shed light on the general acoustic ambience of the Theatre through the performers’ ears.