select - European operatic cities
Written by Brian Johnston
A visit to the great European opera houses provides sublime music and voices, not to mention dazzling architecture and ambiance too.
Barcelona
Gran Teatre del Liceu is one of Europe’s most beautiful opera houses, first built in 1848 in grand Belle Epoque style, but partly reconstructed several times, most lately after a fire in 1994. Still, it remains a magnificent building well worth touring for its architecture, particularly its stunning Room of Mirrors. A small theatre also runs video extracts of various operas and relates the history of the building. The opera company historically favoured 19th-century German and Italian operas (with Verdi still by far the most performed composer) and later Russian composers. But these days, you can enjoy all the great classics, as well as many 20th-century works by the likes of Bartók, Prokofiev, and Schönberg. Electronic translations into several languages on seat backs are a useful modern addition. Ballet is also part of the repertoire.
WHERE
Right on La Rambla, Barcelona’s famed avenue in El Raval district, which is the social centre of the city. Take the metro to Liceu.
WHY
One of the world’s grandest and largest opera houses, with bargain tickets for the upper galleries, nicknamed the Hen Roost.
HOW TO GET THERE
Qatar Airways has daily flights from Doha to Barcelona.
Paris
Paris’ opera company moved to the new Opéra Bastille in 1989, but the Palais Garnier is still referred to fondly as the Paris Opéra. Although it chiefly hosts ballet these days, try to see an opera here if you can: the opera building, decorated with the busts of famous composers, is magnificent, and the company stages smaller-scale and lesser-known operas here not often seen elsewhere.
WHERE
In the 9th arrondissement of Paris, served by a metro station called Opéra – and located on the Place de l’opéra.
WHY
Not only world-class opera, but a Baroque Revival opera house that is considered a sumptuous masterpiece of architecture.
HOW TO GET THERE
Qatar Airways has 15 flights a week from Doha to Paris.
