MADRID – The great Israeli violinist Ivry Gitlis once referred to Niccolò Paganini as a “phenomenon” rather than simply an extraordinary talent. It was an apt description. In a relatively short, tumultuous life filled with passionate romances and bitter rivalries, the petulant genius blazed through Europe, upending musical orthodoxy with his novel compositions and pioneering techniques that continue to influence the way the violin is played to this day.
Producciones Yllana captures the swirl of emotions and music that surrounded Paganini’s life in “Maestrissimo,” a 90-minute show that is being performed before very limited, socially distant audiences in Spain. Weaving together the action and music on stage, while also making performers comfortable in near-empty venues, is an immersive three-universe, 150-fixture lightshow created by Fernando Rodriguez Berzosa.
A longtime ChamSys user, Berzosa programmed his show on a MagicQ with a PCWing. He is running the show at venues throughout Spain on his MagicQ MQ80, and notes that the compact size of this console makes it an ideal traveling companion.
“Nowadays I always use a ChamSys for any project I am involved in,” said Berzosa. “My reason is simple: dependability. I can’t afford to have a console fail; that is why I always depend on my ChamSys. There are many other things I love about the ChamSys consoles, like how logical and user-friendly they are, but things always have to begin with dependability. This was my first show after the long lockdown, and it was comforting to have the MQ80 with me.”
Like the life and music of Paganini itself, the Maestrissimo moves fearlessly through intense mood changes. Drama gives way to a comedic moment at one point, while frantic action settles into a soft contemplative scene the next. Being able to run his show smoothly has been essential to Berzosa, who praised the user-friendly features of his MQ80 with its 12-inch display.
“The Plan View Grids in the output window that allow you to have multiple Grid Plan Views to divide up a lighting grid views are very useful when you have so many elements in your show,” said Berzosa. “It is easy for me to simplify things by using the buttons and encoders to change brightness levels and colors for fixtures by groups, especially since I had so many things going on. Also, having the faders and encoders arranged around the touchscreen is very convenient.
While running his show, Berzosa keeps the four performers on stage in mind. “The people I am lighting are not actors, but professional and accomplished violinists,” he said. “They are comfortable playing music on stage, not acting. I use the lighting to help them remember positions. I wanted them to feel the light. Communicating with light is something I have missed doing for many months, and it is wonderful to be back, even before a small audience.”
About ChamSys
Based in the UK, ChamSys Ltd. was founded in 2003 by a group of designers and product developers seeking to create a lighting console that offered greater flexibility. The company’s MagicQ range has set an industry standard used in some of the most prominent concert, theatre, broadcast and club applications around the world. ChamSys was acquired in 2017 by Chauvet & Sons LLC, a leading global provider of professional luminaires, trusses, controllers and related equipment headquartered in the USA. For more information, visit www.chamsysusa.com