WhispersND
Whispers of the past at Notre-Dame
Scientific responsibility :
- Brian F.G. Katz
- Julien De Muynke
Methodological axes :
Thematic fields :
Partnership :
- Centre André-Chastel
- MSH Lyon
- Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris
- Talkartive
Funding :
- DIM PAMIR
- Chantier scientifique CNRS / Ministère de la Culture / Notre-Dame : GT Acoustique
- Projet ANR PHEND “The Past Has Ears at Notre-Dame” (ANR-20-CE38-0014)
- Institut Jean Le Rond ∂’Alembert, équipes Lutheries – Acoustique – Musique (LAM) et Politique Scientifique Incitative (PSI)
- Collegium Musicae de l’Alliance Sorbonne Université
- Observatoire des patrimoines de l’Alliance Sorbonne Université
Project ID : IDF-DIM-PAMIR-2022-A-004
Summary :
This audio-immersive site-visit experience aligns with the mission of safeguarding and promoting intangible cultural heritage as described by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Notre-Dame de Paris has a particular sound identity, mostly unknown to the general public.
Varying according to the modifications of its architecture and decoration, evolving with its liturgical or musical practices, these multiple sonic identities constitute a scientific and cultural heritage that it is essential to transmit to as many people as possible.
The visitor experience will take the form of a guided and geolocalised audio-immersive tour, accessible via a smartphone application with headphones and available in several languages to adapt to the international public that visits the cathedral’s surroundings every year.
It will immerse the visitor into the sonic memory of Notre-Dame, whose narrative will be supported by visual aids (visual reconstructions of the different construction stages of the building, elements of liturgical furniture, and medieval scores). The various historical acoustics will be displayed alongside a rich musical production and historically informed soundscapes. This way, each visitor is transported into the medieval choir to attend the performance of the first polyphonic chants, to a secular concert from the modern era, or on the banks of the Seine, hearing the medieval artisans shaping the future Notre-Dame.
The virtual tour will be released in the spring of 2023 and will continue beyond the cathedral’s reopening. An experimental phase will precede the deployment with selected visitors to evaluate the user experience and the appreciation of the content.
Varying according to the modifications of its architecture and decoration, evolving with its liturgical or musical practices, these multiple sonic identities constitute a scientific and cultural heritage that it is essential to transmit to as many people as possible.
The visitor experience will take the form of a guided and geolocalised audio-immersive tour, accessible via a smartphone application with headphones and available in several languages to adapt to the international public that visits the cathedral’s surroundings every year.
It will immerse the visitor into the sonic memory of Notre-Dame, whose narrative will be supported by visual aids (visual reconstructions of the different construction stages of the building, elements of liturgical furniture, and medieval scores). The various historical acoustics will be displayed alongside a rich musical production and historically informed soundscapes. This way, each visitor is transported into the medieval choir to attend the performance of the first polyphonic chants, to a secular concert from the modern era, or on the banks of the Seine, hearing the medieval artisans shaping the future Notre-Dame.
The virtual tour will be released in the spring of 2023 and will continue beyond the cathedral’s reopening. An experimental phase will precede the deployment with selected visitors to evaluate the user experience and the appreciation of the content.
