Conference_programme: 18.9 - Archeo-Acoustics
Lecture: Ancient Greek Theaters: Current Operation vs Contemporary Noise Environment
Author(s): Barkas Nikos
Summary:
For over seven centuries the ancient Greek theater spread all over the wider Mediterranean area. The Greek theatre, initially used for holding drama contests and ceremonial rites in honor of the god Dionysus, underwent successive transformations following the socio-political conditions of the Greek-speaking world of antiquity. Although theatre is in the crossroad of various scientific fields (drama, architecture, archaeology and acoustics), a multidisciplinary approach was rarely used in modern restorations of the ancient theatres.\nReuse of ancient Greek theatres (from the early 20th century) as the prominent place for the revival of ancient drama, has prioritized the issues of reversible interventions to ensure the proper conditions for the performances. Even though Ancient theatres underwent severe destructions – mainly due to roman interventions or destructions caused by time – their contemporary reuse could be possible in many cases. However, the sound environment (especially the traffic noise) exerts destructive nuisance on outdoor acoustic comfort and, at the same time, invasive temporary structures required by the new interpretation of the classic drama usually fail to activate the natural (passive) theatres’ amplification potential, obstructing thus the clear transmission of the theatrical message. \nThe paper is part of a broader research (ongoing since 2004), aiming at monitoring the contemporary status of the ancient theatres in Greece. The whole survey sample includes a sum of twenty (20) theatres (Dionysus in Athens, Thorikos, Amphiaraeion of Oropos, Argos, Epidaurus, Mantinea, Megalopolis, Messenia, Eretria, Delphi, Larisa, Dodoni, Dion, Philippi, Thasos, Maroneia, Orchomenos of Voeotia, Zea in Piraeus, Delos and Thira). The research discusses issues like the integration of the theatres into contemporary megacities, their operational infrastructure, the sound environment and the acoustic evaluation of their current or potential reuse.
Corresponding author
Name: Prof NIKOS BARKAS
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Country: Greece
