Musical instrument and sound heritage

A first area of research concerns the study of the sonic influence of frequently identified organological transformations on the musical instruments in the collection. The analysis of the collection increasingly involves large corpora in order to illuminate the relationships between organological criteria (author, date of manufacture, geometry, organological transformations, etc.) and sonic behavior or musical aesthetics. In collaboration with the Femto ST Institute, the SATIE laboratory, Itemm, and the Acoustics Laboratory of the University of Le Mans, these studies rely on statistical approaches to organological and vibratory criteria, coupled with dynamic finite element analyses. They are structured around three corpora: (i) baroque guitars from the Voboam family (evolution of bracing and disappearance of the rose), (ii) soundboard manufacturing techniques in French and English baroque bass viols, and (iii) the effect of hammering on the vibratory behavior and sound quality of bronze gongs.

In collaboration with the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and violin makers, another area of research aims to provide musicians and researchers in the interpretation of early music with the reconstruction of a set of violins from the second half of the 16th century at the French court. This work will particularly draw on ongoing research as part of a PhD in Engineering and Applied Mathematics (2021-2025, UC Louvain and MIM Brussels and ECR), which aims to determine the original dimensions of instruments in the collection that have been modified over time (bass and tenor violins).

Furthermore, the scientific validity of performances on the museum’s instruments has so far relied on the acoustic authenticity of the instruments used and the expertise of the performer. More recently, a third area of research has focused on a holistic approach to historically informed performance, incorporating additional elements such as understanding the effect of the listening environment on performance, as well as a detailed understanding of the psychoacoustic mechanisms of the audience.

Finally, technical drawings are a valuable tool for instrument makers as well as for scientific research related to the collections. This study program aims to clarify the contribution of new metrology technologies in creating technical plans. In addition to increased ease of production and improved measurement accuracy, these techniques—utilizing X-rays, 3D scanning, photogrammetry, tomography, etc.—are expected to provide information that is inaccessible through traditional measurement methods.

The projects conducted in this area are supported and carried out in partnership with several institutions and laboratories:

• Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France
• Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris
• Institut FEMTO-ST de Besançon
• Institut Jean Le Rond d’Alembert de Sorbonne Université
• Institut de recherche et coordination acoustique musique (IRCAM)
• Institut technologique Européen des Métiers de la Musique (Itemm)
• Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine
• Laboratoire d’Acoustique de l’Université du Mans (LAUM)
• Laboratoire de recherche de l’Institut National du Patrimoine
• Laboratoire Satie de l’Université Cergy Pontoise
• Musée des Instruments de musique de Bruxelles
• Université Catholique de Louvain