Vienna Philharmonic again turns to GLP to light Summer Night Concert

The Vienna Philharmonic’s Summer Night Concert (Sommernachtskonzert) has been a highlight in the classical music calendar worldwide for many years. This year, in front of the magnificent backdrop of the Schönbrunn Palace, the famous orchestra played pieces of French romanticism and expressionism for the first time under the direction of Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.

As in previous years, internationally renowned LD Jerry Appelt was responsible for the lighting design of the orchestral stage and the entire ambience, including the palace façade and the extensive baroque park area up to the gloriette. For Appelt, the Summer Night Concert occupies a special place in his heart. As far as the lighting of this classic event, he was taking no chances, and once again turned to the GLP catalogue for the majority of the lighting. More than 280 fixtures from the German manufacturer were deployed – between the stage, the castle, in the castle garden and at the gloriette, which is located around 2km away. This included 61 impression X5 and, for the first time, the weatherproof impression X5 IP Bars. The new FUSION X‐PAR 12 Z, with IP65 protection, also formed part of the light show for the first time.

Sixty‐one impression X5 wash lights and 76 pieces of the well‐established impression S350 Wash illuminated the stage. On top of that, he illuminated the palace façade, which provides the visual backdrop to the orchestra stage, with 54 GLP impression X4 L.

Since it had generally rained before or during the concert in recent years, lighting heads with IP65 protection have proven their worth in unprotected outdoor areas. With 72 FUSION X‐PAR 12Z and 12 of the new impression X5 IP Bar 1000, the designer was able to use weather‐protected solutions from GLP for lighting the Palace park for the first time this year. A contemporary interpretation of a PAR light, with a single 120W COB RGBL LED engine and Fresnel optics, the FUSION X‐PAR 12 Z offers the same outstanding colour mixing as all devices in the X5 Series.

The designer achieved even more consistency in colour reproduction with the first use of the impression X5 IP Bars on the Gloriette, where they served as a beam effect in the camera image with various closeup setti ngs, as well as a decorative uplight in the archways of the gloriette. In addition, eight GLP HIGHLANDER Wash offered lighting effects visible from afar on the Gloriette.

www.glp.de

Photos © Manfred Nikitser