The Bell-Shaped Opera Houses Realised by Antonio Galli Bibiena: Acoustic Comparison between the Communal Theatre of Bologna and the Scientific Theatre of Mantua

A comparative acoustic analysis of two 18th-century opera houses designed by Antonio Galli Bibiena—Bologna's Communal Theatre and Mantua's Scientific Theatre—reveals distinct auditory experiences despite their shared bell-shaped geometry. The study, employing monoaural and binaural measurements, found that while both theatres excelled in sound diffusion, the balconies in Mantua offered superior clarity and intelligibility compared to Bologna’s stalls, where reverberation was more pronounced. These findings challenge assumptions about Bibiena's designs, highlighting how architectural nuances influence acoustic performance even within similar structural frameworks. The research utilized impulse response recordings to quantify these differences, providing insight into the historical significance of these UNESCO-listed sites as pioneers in theatrical acoustics.

Bevilacqua, A., & Tronchin, L. (2023). The Bell-Shaped Opera Houses Realised by Antonio Galli Bibiena: Acoustic Comparison between the Communal Theatre of Bologna and the Scientific Theatre of Mantua. Acoustics, 5(2), 586–600. https://doi.org/10.3390/acoustics5020036