Great opera houses of the world
As Sydney’s white-winged landmark prepares to celebrate its 50th birthday, consider these magical meldings of architecture, art and music.
As Sydney’s white-winged landmark prepares to celebrate its 50th birthday, consider these magical meldings of architecture, art and music.
Sydney Opera House
The best opera houses aren’t just for opera lovers. The Sydney Opera House is a one-of-a-kind example, described by UNESCO as “a masterpiece of 20th century architecture”. Slices from a hypothetical giant sphere rest on a podium recalling Mayan pyramids – which you can best sense by ascending the monumental stairs, designed by Jorn Utzon as the original entryway. Each year’s diverse calendar of 2000-plus events goes well beyond Opera Australia performances. Inside/Out at the House (May 1-7), part of the 50th birthday celebrations, presents heavyweights such as the London Symphony Orchestra performing and broadcast live in the forecourt. The landmark is also Vivid festival’s star canvas; this year’s projected animated artwork is by John Olsen and Curiious (May 26-June 17). Other ways to be wowed include various tours (the architectural tour, which covers its troubled history and revolutionary design, is particularly fascinating) and Bennelong restaurant (the only space where the structure’s interior is fully exposed).
Stay:Four Seasons Sydney offers dress-circle opera house and harbour bridge views. Rooms from $425.
Palais Garnier, France
This Paris landmark is so opulent it quickly gained the “palais” moniker after opening in 1875. Designed by Charles Garnier in the Second Empire style, it’s a symphony of marble, gilding, mosaics, chandeliers, statues and ceiling paintings, including Marc Chagal’s 1964 update for the classic horseshoe-shaped auditorium. Elsewhere is all Belle Epoque ostentation, from elaborate facade to palace-like staircase and upstairs foyer. Opera and ballet are both staged here, and tours visit the private box that features in The Phantom of the Opera. Author Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, since adapted multiple times, was set here.
Stay:InterContinental Paris Le Grand has eye-popping views of its slightly younger operatic neighbour. From $826.
Hanoi Opera House, Vietnam
Modelled on Palais Garnier but on a modest scale, this is among Hanoi’s finest French colonial buildings. Opened in 1911, it later became a focal point for 1945’s August Revolution, including the Viet Minh’s victory announcement from the balcony. This Old World outpost features classical columns, gilt detailing, red velvet seating and the Mirror Room, a grand space now used for chamber music and government ceremonies. Tours are not currently available but performances, including ballet and classical music, are frequent and usually inexpensive.
Stay: Go balcony-to-balcony at nearby MGallery Hotel de l’Opera. From $225.
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Spain
The visionary structures of Valencia’s 35ha City of Arts and Sciences brings to mind a fleet of alien spacecraft. Among these cultural institutions, progressively opened over a decade from 1998, is Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. At 75m it’s the world’s tallest opera house, though much of this sweeping white structure seems to float above reflecting pools. Various performing arts are presented, with opera dominating in the principal auditorium. Attending an opera rehearsal is the guided tour’s optional extra, while dining spaces – especially elevated, indoor-outdoor Contrapunto Restaurant – also immerse visitors in this architectural marvel.
Stay:NH Valencia Las Artes offers Palau views, including from the terrace. From $138.
Metropolitan Opera House, US
The 7ha Lincoln Centre arts precinct’s centrepiece is the world’s largest opera house, with nearly 3800 seats plus standing room. Opened in 1966 in New York, The Metropolitan Opera’s home is modernism on a dramatic scale, starting with the facade’s five graceful 29m arches. In the lobby, find starburst chandeliers, curvy cantilevered double stairs, Chagal murals and an extensive photographic portrait gallery featuring opera luminaries, including Australia’s Joan Sutherland. Opera reigns here, but there is also ballet in summer, The Met’s backstage tour and the Lincoln Centre tour covering art and architecture.
Stay: Bathed in its famous red-neon sign’s glow, The Empire Hotel’s rooftop bar overlooks The Met. From $162.
Royal Opera House, Britain
This London site has hosted opera almost since the first theatre on the site opened in 1732. The Royal Opera House is the third iteration, unveiled in 1858, though substantial sections were built in the 1990s. The elegant columned facade and horseshoe auditorium remain, and the adjoining conservatory-style, Victorian-era flower market was redeveloped as a delightful space for refreshments and socialising around showtime. Home of the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet, it offers various tours, including a walk exploring the Covent Garden district’s theatre-crime connections.
Stay:Views from the 1880 magistrates’ court opposite are now enjoyed by NoMad hotel guests. From $652.
La Scala, Italy
Inaugurated in 1778, Milan’s opera house became the epicentre of Italy’s operatic golden age, premiering works by the likes of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In contrast to the modest neoclassical facade, La Scala’s horseshoe auditorium is handsomely decked out in crimson and gold. It’s encircled by six tiers of boxes and two upper galleries, where tickets are cheap and opera aficionados loudly express their admiration or disdain. This place of pilgrimage for music lovers also presents ballet and orchestral performances. Tours offer the chance to sit in the royal box, while other boxes are accessible from the treasure-filled museum.
Stay:Galleria Vik Milano art hotel is within the glorious 1877 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade opposite. From $599.
Teatro Colon, Argentina
Opened in 1908, when Argentina was booming, this Buenos Aires beauty was inspired by Europe’s great opera houses. Teatro Colon’s visual splendour includes a horseshoe auditorium complete with 700-bulb chandelier, the Golden Room, reminiscent of Palais Garnier’s palatial foyer, and the monumental facade’s classical references. Another notable feature is invisible: experts rate the acoustics the best of any opera house, while Luciano Pavarotti considered them too good. “If one sings something bad, one notices immediately,” he said. Treat your senses at an opera, ballet or classical concert, or join the tour to tread where the likes of Stravinsky, Saint-Saens and Richard Strauss have performed.
Stay: Buenos Aires Marriott is just across broad Avenida 9 de Julio. From $296.
Bolshoi Theatre, Russia
The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera’s home is usually the perfect place to experience Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, or Prokofiev’s opera War and Peace. However, with Russia currently on Smartraveller’s “do not travel” list, for obvious reasons, this Moscow jewel may remain a bucket-list item for some time. Opened in 1825, the theatre is so revered, its neoclassical columned facade graces Russia’s 100-rouble banknote. From the foyer’s marble double staircase to the auditorium’s 9m-high chandelier, the interior is jaw-dropping, especially since the original Imperial decor was restored early this century.
Stay:The Metropol, Moscow’s largest Imperial-era hotel, is directly opposite.
Bayreuth Festspielhaus and Margravial, Germany
Experience two of the most significant opera houses in one Bavarian town, Bayreuth. That name is music to the ears of Richard Wagner fans. The 1876 Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which he commissioned for the performance of his works, still celebrates the composer with an annual festival (July 24-August 28). Tours of this brick-and-timber building are available outside the festival and rehearsal period. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Margravial Opera House is just 2km away. Inaugurated in 1748, this rare survivor among Baroque-era theatres is lavishly decorated. Open to visitors, it will be augmented by a new museum from April 22.
Stay:Goldener Anker heritage boutique hotel is opposite the Margravial. From $285.
