Computational acoustic musicology

Abstract

Abstract While the challenge of historical reconstruction of past musical performances is not a fully solved problem, not all the elements are equally unknown, or of equal magnitude. Despite some uncertainty about the interpretation of individual performers on specific dates, scholarship can still inform other factors of greater perceptual importance, leading to a good approximation of historical performances. In addition to performance style and period instruments, computer simulations make it possible to also account for the acoustics of the period performance space. In addition, the most accurate reconstruction should simulate the room’s acoustics in real time for the performers, thus retaining the feedback mechanisms of room response on performance practice.