Light Fantastic

Max Keller is a magician with artificial light. His work has transformed theater productions across Europe and America, from Berlin and Salzburg to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and his stunning effects with color and space continually set new standards. Principally designed for lighting specialists, this richly illustrated volume documents the fascinating use of stage lighting in such a comprehensive and lucid style that it is of equal interest to all theater buffs. The pictorial language used by a lighting designer is as differentiated as that of a painter. Its success depends not only on the appropriate use of the technical possibilities available, but also on the artistic qualities of such specialists as Max Keller. In Light Fantastic, the author divulges his extensive knowledge and experience, explaining natural light phenomena, the history of light in the theater, and Goethe's and Runge's research on the theory of color as well as technical details, from the fundamentals of optics and projection to the different kinds of lamps, lights, and spots and other lighting equipment More than 500 plates, technical images, drawings, and stage photos highlight the stunning effects achieved in various spectacular productions, ranging from opera and ballet to rock concerts. Keller's latest production is for Tristan and Isolde at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.