Presenters:   Elio Caccavale   Dawn Danby   Olaf Dreyer   Juan Geuer   Rob Godman   John Hatch   Kenneth A. Huff   Mantissa   Miroslav Lovric   Sally McKay   Eric Raymond   S. David Rosner   Mariano Sardón   Frederic P. Schuller   Krister Shalm   Lydia Sharman &   Stephen Morris   Donald Spector   Joseph Thywissen   Marion Tränkle   Koala Yip Symposium The enigma of Vitruvian resonating vases and the relevance of the concept for today by Rob Godman University of Hertfordshire Anyone who has visited a Greek or Roman theatre cannot fail to be impressed by the overall clarity of sound without any form of enhancement. The seats arranged in curved rows around the circular orchestra form large horizontal reflecting surfaces. This ensures that the path of the sound waves travel from the source (the actor or singer) to each of the listeners in a direct path (i.e. without reflection). Vitruvius, however, claimed further enhancements could be made. Image credit: Phil Power and Rob Godman In theatres, also, are copper vases and these are placed in chambers under the rows of seats in accordance with mathematical reckoning. The Greeks call them Echeia. The differences of the sounds which arise are combined into musical symphonies or concords: the circle of seats being divided into fourths and fifths and the octave. Hence, if the delivery of the actor from the stage is adapted to these contrivances, when it reaches them, it becomes fuller, and reaches the audience with a richer and sweeter note.     Vitruvius, on Architecture, Book I (on training of architects, Loeb) With the aid of modern effects systems that arguably attempt to mimic real and imaginary spaces it may be difficult to imagine the importance of the Vitruvian idea. Part of Rob's work as a composer has been to make an audience question the visual/aural relationship that they experience. His Vitruvian reconstructions, using a variety of methods, have made him question this relationship and also address an arguably more complex issue, that of a potential fusion between archaeology, science and music. Biography: Rob Godman is a composer, sound designer and programmer. He has a passionate interest in how sound behaves acoustically and has developed a number of techniques for controlling and building 'virtual spaces'. Rob is a Senior Lecturer in Music Technology at the University of Hertfordshire, UK.   Page Top Copyright © 2004 Subtle Technologies Festival