Gezicht op een muziekkoepel in het Parc de Sept Heures in Spa 1866 - 1870

Jules Hippolyte Quéval captured this photograph of a music dome in Parc de Sept Heures in Spa, a popular 19th-century form of entertainment and leisure. The pavilion, with its open structure and raised platform, echoes ancient Greek and Roman theaters, spaces designed to amplify voices and foster communal experiences. This architectural reference isn't accidental. The dome, like those ancient amphitheaters, serves as a focal point, a stage where music transcends mere sound, becoming a shared emotional experience. We can trace this concept through history—from the sacred groves of antiquity, where music and ritual intertwined, to the town squares of the Renaissance, where music accompanied civic celebrations. Each echoes the desire to create a space where sound enhances collective memory and emotion. It's a cyclical progression, with the music dome as a modern echo of humanity's enduring need for shared auditory experience.