Two Liebherr top-slewing cranes are putting on a star performance in the opera Aida at the Lakeside Theatre in Bregenz. The two cranes, a 550 EC-H 40 FR.tronic and a 280 EC-H 12 Litronic, are actively involved in the opera, and have to shift parts of the stage set, weighing up to 12 tonnes, as the drama unfolds. And it is not only the operation of the two cranes that plays a part; the profiles of the machines are also integrated into the setting of the action. The towers and jibs form a giant frame, enclosing the world’s largest open-air opera stage and the night sky above Lake Constance for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
For the performance of AIDA the two large cranes have the task of raising two complementary mask elements onto the stage and bringing them together in mid-air to form one huge hovering mask. This calls for absolute precision and pinpoint accuracy on the part of the drivers. The stepless FC drives and the ABB work area limitation system make their task easier and provide support in carrying out this demanding and difficult manoeuvre. Fine sensitivity driving, as well as total reliability and safety, are essential for more than 60 performances in all. The crane drivers are being specially trained by Liebherr for these events, and are fully prepared for what they have to achieve.
Both cranes have been mounted in the water directly next to the stage, on what are known as ’pilots’. These are timber piles which are driven into the bed of Lake Constance, and so form the foundation for the crane structure. The undercarriages of both cranes then rest directly on the pilots.
Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental opera Aida will be presented at the Bregenz Lakeside Theatre for the first time in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The premiere is on 22 July, and further performances will run in the course of the summer until 23 August.
