VIENNA – LD Helmut Krammer specified 150 Robe moving lights to illuminate the 2013 Summer Night Concert, performed for its tenth year by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the baroque setting of Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace.
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The venue is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This high profile annual cultural event was broadcast live on national TV and radio and around the world via various satellite channels.
The Robe fixtures were used to light three key areas in Schönbrunn Palace’s gardens: the main stage; the flower beds left and right of this and the Neptunbrunnen Fountains behind the stage.
It was the fourth year that Vienna-based Krammer has lit the concert, which was enjoyed by an estimated 15,000 classical music lovers who braved the inclement weather for the evening.
He has been using Robe products constantly in his work for the last five years and once again chose Robe for the majority of the lighting, following the results he achieved in 2011 and 2012.
This year the Robe count was 54 Robin 600 LEDWashes, 50 Robin MMX WashBeams, 18 LEDBeam 100s, 16 Robin MMX Spots and five ColorSpot 1200E ATs, all supplied by rental company Niclen from Dortmund, Germany, who have an extensive stock of Robe.
In lighting the event, Krammer drew on a fusion of practical, ornamental and architectural lighting.
The LEDWash 600s were used to color the large flower beds flanking the stage with a series of colors and bold, dramatic shafts of light. These were especially useful for the wide camera shots which swept in and out showing the full scale of the event space.
At the rear of the flower beds the LD placed the LEDBeam 100s – nine per side – which “blew everyone away” with their small size and extreme power.
The MMXs were used to add texturing to the Neptune Fountains – making the most of the dual graphics wheel system.
The 50 MMX WashBeams were located around the rim of the fountains and used to produce mid-air effects for the crowds and cameras.
The ColorSpot 1200E ATs reinforced lighting on the main stage – together with other moving lights, generics and LED fixtures.
It was about creating a total environment for the event rather than highlighting the orchestra as the center of attention, and the role of lighting was absolutely vital in achieving this aesthetic goal.
Krammer says he enjoyed using the new Robe MMX WashBeams in particular, while the MMX spot and the LEDWash series are also favorites of his.
He used two Hog 4 consoles and fader wings to control the lighting, which successfully survived the inclement weather.
