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Impossibly romantic and quixotic in style, the Amazon Theatre is situated in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Situated literally on the rugged cliffs of Cornwall, this utterly unique and spellbinding open-air amphitheatre has quietly become one of the most magical places to take in an opera. The fact is: The Met is the home of opera in the USA.Ī post shared by Glyndebourne on at 9:08am PDT Iconic doesn’t begin to cover it: The Met is simply one of the most famous opera houses in the world, based on its star-pulling power, the quality of its productions and, possibly, its lavish gold curtain in the auditorium. It’s now a remarkable space, a testament to the enduring power of opera around the world, and of course a fine proponent of Hindi performances of the operatic canon. Its hugely chequered past meant it fell into serious disrepair since King George V inaugurated the building in 1911, and for a long time the only functioning areas in the facility were a tea stall and a few shops. Situated in Mumbai and now a winner of a UNESCO world heritage award, the Royal Opera House is the last remaining dedicated opera house in the whole country. Even ignoring the building’s unassailable history and significance, the current offering and programming is world-leading in its scope and ambition, and a recent and innovative refurbishment also means this space is more adaptable than ever. Absolutely in proportion and designed impeccably, seeing an opera here promises a truly unique experience.Ĭould this list exist without mention of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden? No. With a full capacity of 99 people (62 box seats and just 37 seats in the stalls), this is quite possibly the smallest opera house in the world. But as well as the outrageously cool facade, the auditorium itself is pretty special too, with an exposed granite and glass frame which alone took over five years to build. Audacious in design and immediately iconic, the building process was unsurprisingly long: 14 years in total, and with a budget that ballooned from $7m to $102m by the time it was opened in 1973.ĭesigned to resemble two pebbles washed by the nearby Pearl River, this is an absolute stunner of a building, clearly a rival even to Sydney Opera House as one of the most audacious opera houses in the world.
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Not only one of the most stunning opera houses in world, but also just one of the most stunning buildings full stop. Here are some essential bucket list destinations for opera lovers.
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