Alcons brings Qingming Festival painting to life in Beijing
Published: ASIA
CHINA: An ambitious blend of music and theatre has breathed life into one of China’s most treasured cultural artefacts, using an Alcons pro-ribbon sound reinforcement system to help do so. Over the course of two days at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, renowned Chinese violinist and composer, Song Fei, recreated the famous scenes of the near-1,000 year old painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
Considered to be the most famous artwork in China and often referred to as ‘the Chinese Mona Lisa’, Along the River During the Qingming Festival pictures the daily life of the people and the landscape of the then capital, Bianjing (now known as Kaifeng), in a series of scenes. Bringing those scenes to the stage required a delicate balance of art and technology.
Chief sound designer Mr Tian selected the Alcons Audio QR24 for the performances. ‘The QR24 pro-ribbon line-source column is especially suitable for these kinds of performances in theatres, as its low profile does not affect the aesthetics of the stage scenery,’ he explained.
A total of 12 QR24 columns and four double 18-inch BF362 subwoofers were deployed to cover the auditorium. The QR24 comprises four 6.5-inch woofers with two 12-inch RBN1203 pro-ribbon tweeters. All of the speakers were driven by Alcons Sentinel 10 4-channel DSP amplified loudspeaker controllers, with 192kHz AES3 inputs.
‘Alcons really surprised me,’ enthused Mr Tian. ‘When I set up an Alcons sound system, the only thing I need to do is recall the right factory setting in the processor. The coverage angle is also so well controlled that it offers a flat SPL throughout the audience, while reducing the disturbance to the artists on stage.’