OIRA, ITALY – Quarries in the mountainside have been described as “windows into the heart of the earth.” They are not only a source of beauty in their own right, but also through the works of art and architecture that are wrought from the marble, granite and other stones that are procured from of them.

In the case of the Tones Teatro Natura, a former quarry in Crevoladossola, a third form of beauty has been added: that of providing stunning scenic surroundings for concerts and other performances. Work on this distinctive venue, which is located in the former Cava Roncino, began in 2020 during the pandemic lockdown. The permanent open-air site, which is a project by Tones on the Stones, opened on July 15, 2022.

Surrounded by the roughhewn quarry, the beauty of Tones Teatro Natura was on full display during a recent concert by the CM Orchestra, an ensemble of 60 musicians with a repertoire that crosses various eras and styles. Enriching the occasion was the extraordinary guest of honor, Mario Biondi, the most beautiful soul voice of Italian music.
Accenting the stunning scenography were the colors of a refined lighting design by Nicolò Damiani of MG Service, using CHAUVET Professional fixtures distributed by Zalight. Service was provided by Marco Gervasio and the team at MG Service.

“I used the Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash to create color and atmosphere across the stage, positioned edge-on to the orchestra,” said Damiani. “There was no possibility of hanging, so we had to use resident structures, marble blocks, at a height of only 3.5 m. The Outcast is really a great product; I found myself very happy with it especially for two features: the zoom has a fantastic range, and at such limited heights it was very useful to have such a wide zoom,”

Damiani was also impressed with the fixture’s color mixing capabilities, particularly how this made it easier for him to light the many moods covered by the CM Orchestra.

“I was really struck by their mixing; when, at the console, I acted to create small color variations, because there was the need to make slight changes to the atmosphere on the entire stage. The Outcast 1 responded to every small change in a very effective way with beautiful shades. For me it was a determining factor in this concert.”

Also in the rig was the Rogue Outcast 2 Beam, which was described by Damiani as a “truly excellent product.” “I liked them very much for various reasons,” he said. “The quality of the beam, and the lightness of the fixture; being IP65 headlights they have a very low weight. The color wheel is excellent. I also liked the effects: above all the two overlapping rotating prisms that generate this beautiful effect, so different from the usual circular or linear prism that can be seen on all beams.”

Tones Teatro Natura gave Damiani a beautiful canvas to work on in this show, as the craggy, multi-dimensional sides of the former quarry presented him with myriad surfaces for his lights to play upon. Deftly using his rig, he brought out the full beauty of these magical surroundings.