Acoustic analysis of a well-preserved Renaissance music space: the Odeo Cornaro in Padua

Abstract

The Odeo Cornaro (1534) in Padua is a Renaissance music space designed by the architect Falconetto for the private palace of the Venetian entrepreneur Alvise Cornaro. Inspired by the classicism of Roman "villae" described in Cicero's letters, this octangular hall may be included in the "loci consonantes" Vitruvius' category, where the sound propagation is accentuated, and the voice supported. In order to analyse these acoustic features through a contemporary approach, a campaign of in situ acoustic measurements allowed an accurate analysis of such a well-preserved space through objective room criteria. Moreover, the acoustic role of the umbrella vault and the niches in the sidewalls has been evaluated through a numerical model tuned on the measurements' outcomes. The main results show that the neat modal behaviour of the symmetrical environment is also accentuated by the moderate volume and the lack of furniture. This effect contributes to supporting the voice of the singers without losing the intimacy of the music performance, proving the Odeo to be an outstanding music place of the past.