After its acclaimed premiere at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Samson recently captivated audiences at the Opéra-Comique. Reimagined by conductor Raphaël Pichon and director Claus Guth, this bold reinterpretation of Rameau’s lost 1734 opera placed sound design at its core—offering a contemporary, immersive experience powered by the HOLOPHONIX processor and Amadeus loudspeakers.
The electro-acoustic system featured over 40 Amadeus speakers and employed advanced 3D Wave Field Synthesis to spatialize sound with striking precision. A custom-designed front-fill array of 16 Amadeus PMX 5 MKIV speakers, concealed in a wooden structure built by the Opéra-Comique’s in-house carpenters, allowed for precise audio localization aligned with stage action. Additional surround and embedded speakers reinforced a sense of realism that grounded sonic elements in the visual storytelling, particularly benefiting front-row seats that often suffer from acoustic limitations.
For sound designer Mathis Nitschke, Samson marked a turning point in how he approaches spatial audio.
To be honest, I didn’t see much need for elaborate 3D audio systems in theater before I worked with HOLOPHONIX… But after this experience? Whenever possible, I will ask for HOLOPHONIX in future productions,
explains Nitschke.
His design brought the off-stage chorus to life, unfolding its sound across the stage to envelop the audience in a natural, expansive auditory landscape.
With Samson, spatial sound becomes an expressive force. As Gaëtan Byk, President of Amadeus creator of HOLOPHONIX, notes:
We demonstrate how spatial sound technologies and electro-acoustic enhancements can elevate artistic expression.
