Robe DL7S Profile LED moving lights and PARFect 100 LED PARs have been installed at the Estonian National Concert Hall (Eesti Kontsert), located in the heart of picturesque capital city Tallinn and home to the Estonian National Orchestra (ENO).
The Concert Hall is run by the Eesti Foundation, together with five other high profile concert hall venues – in the Estonia cities of Tartu, Parnu and Jõhvi – and St Petersburg, Russia.
The new lights were delivered by Tallinn based sales and installation company E&S, and were part of a much needed technical upgrade that replace the previous lighting scheme which was fully ‘conventional’.
In recent years increased competition has emerged in Tallinn from other venues all vying to stage events and entertainment, so as the market tightens, so does the need to offer “the best and most flexible technical solutions” for all our clients says Jüri Leiten, Eesti Foundation Director.
It’s a government run venue, so a tender was issued for a new lighting scheme and Leiten and his team examined the options carefully before deciding to go with E&T’s proposal, pitched by Luhaäär with whom they already enjoy an excellent working relationship.
The eventual choice of moving light followed very big discussions with the orchestra.
Classical musicians, because of the nature and detail of their work, are known for being extremely hard to please when it comes to any stage lighting, and also for their acutely sensitive hearing.
Ambient noise levels precluded every other proposed moving light fixture involved in the selection process, apart from the DL7S, which runs so quiet it’s almost imperceptible.
Once the DL7Ss had passed the ‘noise’ test with the orchestra. Which came from one of the most sensitive pairs of ears in the performing arts – world-renowned Estonian maestro, Neeme Järvi who conducted the orchestra with the new lights on, confirming beyond any doubt that the best decision had been made.
The DL7Ss were supplied in white housings to match the walls of the Concert Hall, which has a fully flexible layout, retractable seating and can accommodate up to 1000 people for a concert or recital.
Another important technical requirement was that all the new installed fixtures can produce clean white light with colour temperatures that can be changed smoothly.
With the DL7Ss the venue also appointed a moving light operator and specialist for the first time, Mattias Kittask, who is very happy with the new purchases that were supplied along with an appropriate control console from E&S.
The PARfects – also supplied in white – are dotted around in a series of positions either side of the side columns along the room and on two over-stage trusses.
In addition to the low noise and white light considerations, the energy efficient solution was another reason for choosing the Robe tender.
The hall itself is 101 years old and heritage protected, so a lighting scheme that kicks out less heat was a far easier, more lateral and budget-friendly prospect than implementing a complicated AC system to keep the environment comfortable in the summer.
The other bonus of LED is also in the power saving, lower on-going maintenance … and generally being more carbon conscious, an ethos that’s readily evident all across the country.
