Sound field of a traditional Chinese Palace courtyard theatre

Abstract

Chinese Palace theatres mostly adopt a semi-open courtyard layout, where sound field quality is crucial for the performance of Chinese dramas. This study conducted field measurements and a simulation of the Jiayintang Theatre sound field in the Shenyang Imperial Palace to determine the basic parameters of traditional courtyard theatre sound fields. Moreover, the effects of sound source directivity and the spatial elements on the sound field of the theatre were analysed. The results indicate that the acoustic parameters of the Jiayintang Theatre meet the performance requirements of traditional Beijing Operas, as the acoustic conditions are similar to those of modern Beijing Opera theatres with good listening features. Removing the roof and sidewalls reduces the sound intensity and reverberation time in the aisles. Changing the stage position from the current projecting style to the embedded style would result in a 1.6 and 2.6 dB decrease in the sound intensity in mid-frequency in the main hall and aisles, respectively, while the musical clarity (C80) as well as the speech transition index (STI) in the main hall would decrease, which would negatively affect the audience perception of acoustic quality. The pavilion roof primarily serves to support the actors considering acoustics. If the singing direction of the actors changes from the main hall to the aisles, the sound intensity in the main hall would decrease by 1.8 dB, and the STI and C80 values would also significantly decrease.