The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen has undergone a technical upgrade, investing in 80 new Robe FORTE luminaires in a package featuring 32 x FORTE Profiles, 34 x FORTE Fresnels, 4 FORTE FollowSpots, and 10 x iFORTE (IP-rated) moving lights.
The drive was to source something more efficient and in line with the contemporary production values of sustainability and high quality.
Chief LX Sune Schou and his team started looking and exhaustively testing all the options to find a good, bright, profile/spot fixture.
The new lights had to be an LED source, however, the most important reason for selecting FORTE was the quality of the optics, and the resulting light coming out of the units.
For an LED source, they met the challenge of being able to function without incurring any chromatic aberrations and shadows when creating soft edges for the beams at different lengths along the focal plane of the zoom, explained Sune.
The venue also generally needs an abundance of profile and wash lamps on the rig, and Robe’s FORTE range has both types of light source available using the same LED engine, offering identical colours and colour temperatures for the best continuity.
When the full power of the FORTE is not required, as is frequently the case in operatic productions, the engine can be turned down leading to further power saving and greater longevity.
The fact that the LED engine is transferable was a bonus. Robe’s TRANSFERABLE ENGINE technology concept offers the possibility of replacing or being able to swap out the LED engine for one with different characteristics.
The new fixtures are positioned on the overhead and side fly bars, making a majority Robe moving light rig now above the stage in this high-profile venue.
The 10 x iFORTES are used for the top side lights, and the reason for having the IP version in these positions is due to their proximity to the humidifiers that run during performances to ensure the singers have the perfect climatic conditions for their voices. These machines are installed immediately above the iFORTES.
Sune is also now looking at a RoboSpot system for additional control of the FORTE FollowSpots to complete the FORTE environment here.
“Having the FORTES saves A LOT of programming time as they all have the same light engines and physical attributes,” Sune noted.
The first Robe luminaires in the Opera House were some LEDBeam 150s which have proved popular, robust, and useful over the last couple of years.
The Old Stage – part of the original Royal Danish Theatre, also switched to Robe in 2022, with a large quantity of T2 Fresnels installed.
Sune concluded that the Robe fixtures have been working: “very well”. Referring to Robe’s Danish distributor, he added: “Light Partner’s service is exceptional. They look after us really well and know the importance of finding solutions quickly and efficiently when needed!”
