#Paris opera house underground lake tour series

Vienna Staatsoper, Vienna, Austriaīuilt in 1869, the Staatsoper was inaugurated with a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Today, special gala performances are often held there. After the French Revolution, the theater was used just occasionally for various events. Breaking with traditional Italian-style theaters, two balconies ring the house, topped by an ample colonnade that seems to extend into infinity thanks to a play of mirrors.Ange-Jacques Gabriel built the theater in 1769 in preparation for the marriage of the dauphin, the future King Louis XVI, to the Austrian princess Marie-Antoinette. Gold is harmoniously blended with the pinks and greens of the marbling and the sky-blue curtain and upholstery. The wooden walls were actually painted to resemble marble, which they do quite perfectly. The interior of the Opéra Royal in the famously opulent palace of Versailles is a clever creation. Opéra Royal, Versailles Court Theater, France

The result, nothing short of spectacular, is all the more remarkable for not conflicting with the formal character of the interior decor.

In 1962, Marc Chagall created new frescoes on the center of the Palais Garnier’s ceiling. Some of the greatest ceremonial spaces in the world are here at the Paris Opéra, lending their sublimity to lofty occasions.The rich and striking interiors capture the tastes and attitudes of France’s Second Empire.

The grand theater within is suitable for both ballet and opera. The highly ornamented building with its crowning dome was built in 1875. The main facade of the Opéra is an imposing sight, even in Paris, a city filled with architectural marvels. All major performance areas have their own foyers. The grand opening took place in 1973 the first public performance was Prokofiev’s War and Peace.Inside, each theater is paneled in different types of wood to enhance the venue’s acoustic qualities as well as offer pleasing aesthetics.

#Paris opera house underground lake tour series

The structure was designed by Jørn Utzon to suggest a series of overlapping shells and sails. Even if attending a performance doesn’t suit your plans, you might want to visit the opera house just to see the building tours are offered frequently. Situated on a spit of land that juts out into Sydney’s harbor, the spectacularly contemporary Sydney Opera House has wonderful views of the sailboat-dotted water. Here, Yuri Grigorovich choreographed memorable productions of Swan Lake, The Golden Age, and Romanda. The great stage is known for its celebrated ballet company. The Bolshoi closed in 2005 for extensive interior renovations and reopened in the fall of 2011.Four balconies and a top gallery surround the orchestra, where the seats are Chippendale chairs upholstered in red damask. Its stunning neoclassic portico, topped by a statue of Apollo in his chariot, is a precursor to the magnificent splendor visitors will find when they venture inside. One of Russia’s premier theaters, coupled with one of the best symphony orchestras in the world, the Bolshoi in Moscow has survived fire, war, and revolution. From 1735 until his death in 1759 he gave regular seasonal performances here. Teatro Colon has its own elaborate costume and scenic construction departments.Īn opera house has stood in the present location of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden since the early 18th century the current building is the third.George Handel’s operas were the first ever to be performed here, and he wrote many of his operas and oratorios for this place in particular. With so many architects involved, it is not surprising that the building incorporates a great many styles that are associated with European theaters.This grand opera house’s outstanding record of great performances is matched only by the host of famous artists who have graced its stage.

industrialists, opera-loving Argentines completed the Teatro Colon in 1908. Some of Gioachino Rossini’s most popular operas premiered on its stage. One of La Scala’s most ingenious features is the concave channel under the wooden floor of the orchestra this is credited with giving the theater superb acoustics.īuilt by King Charles of Bourbon and inaugurated in 1737, the magnificent red-and-gold theater is the world’s oldest working theater, and until La Scala, it was the most prestigious in Italy. Milan’s Teatro alla Scala is perhaps the most famous opera house in the world, the one most associated with “opera.” Built in 1778 with four tiers with separate loges, it is the home of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi. From the National Geographic book The 10 Best of Everything