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REVOLUTIONARY ACOUSTICSLAB CONTINUES TO AID CONSTELLATIONCENTER'S RESEARCH DESIGN PROCESS AND AREA ARTISTS
At the core of the project is a desire to bring new levels of intimate and enveloping acoustics to both performers and audience members. In 1999, we embarked upon the largest acoustical study of its kind, visiting over one hundred of the best rooms for musical performance worldwide and spanning over 2000 years of musical history. It was our desire to discover what made these venues so special in their own time and in doing so, define the parameters of our own project.
This work resulted in new levels of innovation in the field of acoustics and the design and construction of a revolutionary design tool in our Cambridge offices, the AcousticsLab. Housed in a near-acoustically dead space, twenty-two speakers at various heights and angles are calibrated to re-create the precise sounds of many of the halls we visited, and our own future four halls, as well. A wraparound screen projects wide-angle images and video to supplement the aurally immersive experience. The AcousticsLab allows us to refine our design as well as share our findings and plans with the public.
In spring 2007, ConstellationCenter held a series of evening presentations to friends and neighbors. The forty-five minute presentation introduces Constellation’s four halls, offers a demonstration of their performance modes including film, choral, jazz, and world music performances, and describes our research methods and acoustical studies. As work in the AcousticsLab continues to inform our design, we are also excited about its ability to help us expose more individuals to the project.
The AcousticsLab is also a resource for local and international artists. As an example, an internationally acclaimed sound artist, Stephen Vitiello, used the facility to refine the design for a recent installation in London. “This is the first time I have been able to hear what a new piece sounds like before its actual installation,” Mr. Vitiello said. “This has helped tremendously in perfecting my work.” Mr. Vitiello is currently Assistant Professor of Kinetic Imaging at Virginia Commonwealth University and Archivist for The Kitchen in New York City. Originally from New York, he is now based in Richmond, Virginia.
Another use of the AcousticsLab is to allow singers to rehearse for extended periods in the sound environment of famous halls before their recitals. “Normally, a singer gets one or two hours of private rehearsal time in a major concert hall,” said Nell Snaidas. “In the AcousticsLab, I can spend all the time I need to select perfect intonation of every syllable. The AcousticsLab is a fantastic resource for the singer.” Ms. Snaidas has been featured in leading roles with New York City's renowned zarzuela company, The Repertorio Espanol. She starred in the Thalia Spanish Theater's winning production, "Las Leandras," at the Internacional Festival de la Zarzuela at the Chamizal in Mexico. She is heard as soloist with Early Music groups such as ARTEK, Bachworks, Hesperus and EX UMBRIS. She was featured in an evening of Yiddish divas at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park and at New York’s Folksbiene in a performance of Yiddish operetta.
For more information on the AcousticsLab or to sign up for a demonstration, please contact either Kelly Reed or Alexandra Lee at (617) 939-1900 or
Acoustician Alban Bassuet
in CC’s AcousticsLab
Early 3D rendering of
AcousticsLab
161 First Street
Cambridge, MA 02142-1247
Tel 617.939.1900
Fax 617.939.1911