The acoustics of the hellenistic theatre of epidaurus: The important role of the seat rows

Authors

  • Nico F. Declercq Georgia Institute of Technology, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405, United States
  • Cindy S. A. Dekeyser Georgia Tech Lorraine, UMI Georgia Tech - CNRS 2958, Laboratory for Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation, 2 rue Marconi, 57070 Metz-Technopole, France

Keywords:

Acoustic noise, Backscattering, Theaters (legitimate), Cavea, Filtering effects, Threshold frequency

Abstract

The seat rows of the Hellenistic theater of Epidaurus play a significant role in the acoustics. The seats, which constitute a corrugated surface, serve as an acoustic filter that passes sound coming from the stage at the expense of surrounding acoustic noise. Reflections on the foreground of the theater result in a better distribution of sound throughout the cavea so that all positions become acoustically similar to one another. The installation of seat rows on a smooth cavea generates diffraction effects that change the acoustic properties of the theater. Second order diffracted sound for frequencies beyond a certain threshold plays an important role and causes sound to be backscattered from the cavea to the audience making the audience to receive sound from the front, but also backscattered sound from behind. The threshold frequency of the filtering effect also is mainly determined by the periodicity of the seat rows in the cavea of the theater.

Additional Files

Published

2007-09-01

How to Cite

1.
Declercq NF, Dekeyser CSA. The acoustics of the hellenistic theatre of epidaurus: The important role of the seat rows. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2007 Sep. 1 [cited 2024 Apr. 19];35(3):120-1. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/1930

Issue

Vol. 35 No. 3 (2007)

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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