VIENNA — Vienna's newest musical production – Rebecca – recently opened at the Raimund Theatre, featuring the story of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel, and the heart of the show's sound system is the VBW Raimund Theatre's resident Cadac J-Type live production console, in conjunction with two Cadac D16 digital mix matrices. Staged by Vereinigte Bühne Wien (VBW), the musical is written by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, directed by Francesca Zambellow and stars Uwe Kröger as Maxim de Winter, opposite Dutch-born Wietske van Tongeren as the second Mrs. de Winter. Sound design is by Hendrik Maassen, whose musical credits include a long-term association with Phantom of the Opera. Rebecca presents a sophisticated show, combining video projection, surround sound and a dramatic lighting design. The composers' intention from the outset was to achieve a close audience involvement in the drama, incorporating high impact film-style sequences. Sound designer Hendrik Maassen explains:
"The show's design is extremely challenging, particularly in the way that it combines the video, sound and lighting elements – this makes it a lot of fun from a creative perspective. We use surround sound as a key component to involve the audience, with many of the scenes designed to work cinematically. In order to achieve this close audience interaction, I have implemented a concept that I have spent the past few years evolving – using artificial reflections to overcome problems as with the Raimund Theatre, which does not have a very natural lively acoustic. Essentially, I have developed a room simulator system that enables us to put sound into a room to create the impression of the space we are looking for – larger, more intimate, etc.
"For Rebecca, we have two Cadac D16s that we are using also as the output matrix for all of the surround and effects sequences. The D16s control the artificial reflections needed to enhance the theatre's acoustics, and to ensure that every speaker has the correct delay and level, so that they blend together without any single speaker standing out."
The show uses a combination of sound effects to create the high drama moments – ranging from storms to the sea to a steam locomotive. Hendrik recorded all of these using a SoundField microphone, with the Cadac J-Type enabling him to control the placement. Rebecca premièred on September 28, 2006, to a Viennese audience.
For more information, please visit www.cadac-sound.com.
