Although Mozart has no living descendants, his music still has countless inheritors.
The latest in the lineage born just this summer is a digital twin.
German tech giant Siemens conceived the prodigious clone.
Last month, the company brought the system to Mozarts hometown of Salzburg.
Classical notes are soaring through the sultry air.
Theyre sweeping across outdoor stages and around opera halls.
Some have even entered the digital twin.
Like every digital twin, the system is a virtual model of a real-world counterpart.
But this one has an unusual focus: sound.
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By simulating sounds within the virtual domain, the twin reveals the sonic workings of the physical realm.
It is such a different feeling.
Siemens envisions abundant applications.
Architects will design venues with peerless acoustics.
Builders will construct homes with perfect soundproofing.
Events will adapt convention centres for music, theatre, and dance.
Conductors will customise opera halls for their music.
Orchestras will rehearse in replicas of real concert halls.
But before those fantasies became reality, the digital twin was called for an audition.
Salzburg provided two formidable tests: a fabled festival venue and the music of Mozart.
Built on old stables, the square auditorium has globally renowned acoustics.
As the name suggests, the venue is also immense.
The 100-metre stage is among the widest in the world.
Around 2,200 people can attend each performance.
Their seats offer different music experiences.
So do the carpets on the floor, the musicians on the stage, and the instruments they play.
The architecture also dramatically impacts the sound.
The digital twin had to model each of these effects.
Siemens assigned the task toSimcenter, a software portfolio for developing and testing simulations.
The software first analysed data on the shape, structure, and contents of the hall.
All the underlying materials were then precisely defined.
Each can cause sound waves to behave differently.
Soft curtains absorb the waves, while metal furnishings reflect them.
When theybounce off concrete walls, they generate a distinct acoustic reaction.
If they hit a seat, they will create another reaction.
Siemens analysed these effects through two core techniques:impulse response measurements and ray tracing.
Together, they measured and simulated the flow of sound through the hall.
A virtual stage for Mozart
Engineers first installed12 microphones around the auditorium.
On the stage, they placed 11 high-quality speakers in the positions of the instruments.
Each speaker then sent small signals around the room.
As the signals circled the hall, microphones recorded their effects.
The results were then sent for analysis.
Siemens then embedded that signature into the digital hall.
With virtual microphones and speakers in the same positions as their physical twins, the sound tests were repeated.
Computer models then examined the acoustic behaviour.
We correlate the simulation with the measurements and map the model to reality, Holler says.
With that, you get the digital twin.
Otherwise, you just have a digital model..
Assured that their replicant was fully developed, the team released the virtual doppelganger.
The finished twin replicates endless musical configurations.
Users can then explore the impacton every seat in the hall.
From remote locations, they can experiment with sounds,materials, and layouts.
All their tweaks could transform the acoustics.
By simulating them in a digital twin, they will create evidence for decisions in the real world.
More acoustic digital twins are already in the works.
But technology still has to convince sceptics.
To dispel their doubts, Siemens has turned toSalzburgs favourite son.
Mozart enters the digital stage
Siemens built the digital twin into an XR software.
Named the Sound of Science, theapptransports us into a 3D model of Salzburgs Large Festival Hall.
We then explore the music playing in the venue, adjusting sounds and structures as we listen.
Every change has an audible impact on the acoustics.
Stephan Frucht, the artistic director of the Siemens arts programme, choseMozarts 29th Symphonyfor the experience.
Blending transparent textures with sophisticated techniques, the music showcases the digital twins capabilities.
A conductor and musician in his own right, Frucht cut the track in a Berlin studio.
One instrument after another was recorded onto individual files.
All were integrated with the digital twin.
The audio signals were then fed into the XR software.
The XR app opens a window into the potential of acoustic digital twins.
It also shines a new light on Siemens.
Musics digital future
Founded back in 1847, Siemens has a lengthy history of engineering excellence.
The Munich-based firm is also Europes largest industrial manufacturer.
But the current company has another focus:software.
Digital twins are a central component of todays business.
Theyre used to monitor and improve various industrial operations, from manufacturing plants to energy grids.
The Salzburg system shows the twins can also optimise acoustic conditions.
Frucht has even loftier ambitions for the project.
He believes the music can influence industrial applications.
After all, innovation can also come from culture, he says.
He points to a precedent set by Salzburgs second favourite musical son: Herbert von Karajan.
A celebrated (and controversial) Austrian conductor, Karajan inaugurated the Large Festival Hall.
He was also involved in developing the compact disc.
One of his recordings was the first work ever pressed onto the plastic.
Legend has it that he also set the CDs parameters.
He reputedly demanded that a single disc must have space for Beethovens 9th Symphony.
The outcome was a 74-minute capacity.
If music has a similar impact on digital twins, Mozart could have a whole new breed of descendants.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
