Since 1989, the performance of Peer Gynt in Gålå has been one of the highlights of the Norwegian open-air season. This year, more than 150,000 spectators made their pilgrimage to the open-air stage in its idyllic lakeside setting framed by mountains and forests to enjoy Ibsen's celebrated drama set to music by Edvard Grieg. No cars, or trains, or city noise distract the listener: every word spoken and every note played is perceived with a far greater intensity than in the theatres, concert halls and opera houses of the major cities.
To make the most of the unique acoustics, the organizers asked their production company, MultiTechnic, for a sonic image that, according to Erik S. Landsem of the Oslo-based sound specialists, "would appear to be issuing not from the loudspeakers but from the lake behind the stage - and in CD quality, too!" The fact that the strict noise control regulations in force did not allow for lengthy tests and soundchecks hardly made the task any easier.
The team from MultiTechnic employed a Dynacord Cobra-4 system to cover the performers - an orchestra of 30 musicians, a choir of 40 singers, and a cast of 100 actors - and positioned four Dynacord D12 cabinets at the end of the stage, which combined with the Cobra to create the desired illusion: a sonic image that "seemed to be coming from all sides rather than the loudspeakers themselves. We managed to achieve a powerful orchestral sound in the open air!" recounts Landsem, a feat acknowledged by organizers and audiences alike. "After every single performance," he says, "the sound was the subject of fulsome praise."
(Lee Baldock)
