Reconstructing the instrument using a virtual model (instead of just making a modern physical copy of it) was an additional cultural challenge. We opted for a virtual reconstruction based on modelling because it had the advantage of making it easy to build sound libraries that students, researchers and museums can easily access and use everywhere in the world. In this way we could allow everybody to load the sounds onto a PC, plug in a keyboard and play. Reconstructing just one epigonion would have meant that just one instrument was available for studying purposes.
Finally using virtually reconstructed instruments in a modern environment was the final challenge. We played ancient instruments alongside modern ones, we started arranging and writing for ancient instruments using different techniques (faithful to the Ancient Greek tuning and harmony or using modern well temperament) and use them live on stage during real concerts
We are currently mostly focusing on reconstructing instruments but an increasing fraction of our time is moving towards a more complex research regarding music archaeology facilitated by modern technologies. We are extremely interested in understanding how the instrument sounded in their ancient natural environment (rooms, theatres, and open space) and we are using advanced networking and advanced distributed computation to refine our models to correctly describe and map ancient materials, mimic construction techniques, size and shapes of rooms where the instrument was typically played.
Is this project a function of new technologies? Have their been any forerunners?
Ever since the first computers appeared at research centers, universities and radio stations, they have drawn the attention of musicians towards new ways of writing music, of creating sounds. When networks started to link computers together, the possibilities became wider and even more fascinating: thousands of PCs spread around the world could work together to generate sounds, to create music.
Many countries around the world have a special dedicated network called a National Research and Education Network, which is separate from the internet people use at home. These networks provide extremely reliable access to high bandwidth so that researchers can communicate, transfer data and perform all sorts of fascinating projects and avoid the congestion of the commercial internet. But scientists often want to link up with researchers in other parts of the world, and so there are networks which link up the national networks. The network for Europe is called GÉANT and it is this network which is used to recreate the sounds of the epigonion.
The calculations used to recreate the epigonion and the other ASTRA instruments required reliable access to high bandwidth and this is why we had to use networks like GÉANT and distributed computing infrastructure like the European Grid Initiative.
Another important role of advanced networking was bringing experiences and knowledge together. Imagine having an archaeologist working in Greece with many interesting relics and findings, a group of engineers in Italy, a software developer in France, an historian in Morocco: using the network within our project ASTRA, they had the possibility to interact and co-operate, adding experiences and creating something unique.
Next page: The Web is an important ingredient
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