Opera

I went to see/hear opera for the first time in my life 3 years ago aged 70. It was Aida at the Verona Arena, the largest capacity (16,000?) functioning Roman arena. It doesn't start til it's dark and goes on for about 3 and a half hours finishing about 0030. I thought I can always leave if it sucks - I was on my own and didn't know what to expect or if I'd be able to follow what was going on though I'd read up on the basic storyline. I just got the cheapest ticket which means you sit on the same stone slabs as the plebs did as they watched all sorts of bloody deaths 2000 years ago, but you can now buy a cheap bit of foam to sit on.

I'd put it in one of the top 10 experiences in my life, maybe top 5. I stayed til the end. The fact that it's night in the open air in an enormous Roman arena creates an amazing atmosphere I can't put into words. There was a simultaneous electronic translation of the libretto in English and I thought it's probably going to be a bit of an iffy one but it wasn't and when it got to the bit where Aida's lover sang the line 'Let me build you a throne next to the sun' my jaw dropped.

I decided to visit Verona every year to see a different opera but Covid put a stop to that but I'm going back to Verona next month to see La Traviata and possibly Carmen too (the annual opera festival lasts nearly 3 months June-Sept and next year is the 100th festival so should be amazing). The scale of the Arena in Verona means hundreds of people can be involved on stage, it's so dramatic and the excitement in the air in the city centre beforehand.

Try an opera, go to Verona.

 
I went to see/hear opera for the first time in my life 3 years ago aged 70. It was Aida at the Verona Arena, the largest capacity (16,000?) functioning Roman arena. It doesn't start til it's dark and goes on for about 3 and a half hours finishing about 0030. I thought I can always leave if it sucks - I was on my own and didn't know what to expect or if I'd be able to follow what was going on though I'd read up on the basic storyline. I just got the cheapest ticket which means you sit on the same stone slabs as the plebs did as they watched all sorts of bloody deaths 2000 years ago, but you can now buy a cheap bit of foam to sit on.

I'd put it in one of the top 10 experiences in my life, maybe top 5. I stayed til the end. The fact that it's night in the open air in an enormous Roman arena creates an amazing atmosphere I can't put into words. There was a simultaneous electronic translation of the libretto in English and I thought it's probably going to be a bit of an iffy one but it wasn't and when it got to the bit where Aida's lover sang the line 'Let me build you a throne next to the sun' my jaw dropped.

I decided to visit Verona every year to see a different opera but Covid put a stop to that but I'm going back to Verona next month to see La Traviata and possibly Carmen too (the annual opera festival lasts nearly 3 months June-Sept and next year is the 100th festival so should be amazing). The scale of the Arena in Verona means hundreds of people can be involved on stage, it's so dramatic and the excitement in the air in the city centre beforehand.

Try an opera, go to Verona.

What a great post.
I've never really thought of going to the opera before, but you have done a very good job of selling it to me kuepper. It sounds like you had an amazing evening.
 
Royal Opera House tip:
Even in non-heatwave conditions they have tapwater to drink in the interval. Champagne bar expenditure not essential.
 
I've seen a couple of opera's. Last one was the one on the edge of Sydney harbour, it was a spectacular setting but you're just watching a play with a childishly simple story line with the words sung in Italian. It doesn't strike me as being as sophisticated as people like to think it is.
 
Never seen one and never really wanted to

Always put it in the same bracket as going on a Cruise, i.e lots of stuck up people wearing chinos and a long sleeved shirt with the top button undone

Anyway, thanks to keupper's post and me already having an eye on a trip to Italy next year I think I`m going to coincide it with this 100th festival and by the looks of it I`m going to have a very good experience

Thanks keupper
 
I went to see/hear opera for the first time in my life 3 years ago aged 70. It was Aida at the Verona Arena, the largest capacity (16,000?) functioning Roman arena. It doesn't start til it's dark and goes on for about 3 and a half hours finishing about 0030. I thought I can always leave if it sucks - I was on my own and didn't know what to expect or if I'd be able to follow what was going on though I'd read up on the basic storyline. I just got the cheapest ticket which means you sit on the same stone slabs as the plebs did as they watched all sorts of bloody deaths 2000 years ago, but you can now buy a cheap bit of foam to sit on.

I'd put it in one of the top 10 experiences in my life, maybe top 5. I stayed til the end. The fact that it's night in the open air in an enormous Roman arena creates an amazing atmosphere I can't put into words. There was a simultaneous electronic translation of the libretto in English and I thought it's probably going to be a bit of an iffy one but it wasn't and when it got to the bit where Aida's lover sang the line 'Let me build you a throne next to the sun' my jaw dropped.

I decided to visit Verona every year to see a different opera but Covid put a stop to that but I'm going back to Verona next month to see La Traviata and possibly Carmen too (the annual opera festival lasts nearly 3 months June-Sept and next year is the 100th festival so should be amazing). The scale of the Arena in Verona means hundreds of people can be involved on stage, it's so dramatic and the excitement in the air in the city centre beforehand.

Try an opera, go to Verona.

I was there to two weeks ago. It was one of my tick offs in my taskbook of life. I wanted to see Carmen but it did not fit with our plans, so went to Aida and pleased I did. My wife is not in to Opera but enjoyed it.
 
I went to see/hear opera for the first time in my life 3 years ago aged 70. It was Aida at the Verona Arena, the largest capacity (16,000?) functioning Roman arena. It doesn't start til it's dark and goes on for about 3 and a half hours finishing about 0030. I thought I can always leave if it sucks - I was on my own and didn't know what to expect or if I'd be able to follow what was going on though I'd read up on the basic storyline. I just got the cheapest ticket which means you sit on the same stone slabs as the plebs did as they watched all sorts of bloody deaths 2000 years ago, but you can now buy a cheap bit of foam to sit on.

I'd put it in one of the top 10 experiences in my life, maybe top 5. I stayed til the end. The fact that it's night in the open air in an enormous Roman arena creates an amazing atmosphere I can't put into words. There was a simultaneous electronic translation of the libretto in English and I thought it's probably going to be a bit of an iffy one but it wasn't and when it got to the bit where Aida's lover sang the line 'Let me build you a throne next to the sun' my jaw dropped.

I decided to visit Verona every year to see a different opera but Covid put a stop to that but I'm going back to Verona next month to see La Traviata and possibly Carmen too (the annual opera festival lasts nearly 3 months June-Sept and next year is the 100th festival so should be amazing). The scale of the Arena in Verona means hundreds of people can be involved on stage, it's so dramatic and the excitement in the air in the city centre beforehand.

Try an opera, go to Verona.

Fantastic, thank you. It's going on my list of things I want to do.
 
Never seen one and never really wanted to

Always put it in the same bracket as going on a Cruise, i.e lots of stuck up people wearing chinos and a long sleeved shirt with the top button undone
My thoughts were exactly the same boroboy.
 
I went to see/hear opera for the first time in my life 3 years ago aged 70. It was Aida at the Verona Arena, the largest capacity (16,000?) functioning Roman arena. It doesn't start til it's dark and goes on for about 3 and a half hours finishing about 0030. I thought I can always leave if it sucks - I was on my own and didn't know what to expect or if I'd be able to follow what was going on though I'd read up on the basic storyline. I just got the cheapest ticket which means you sit on the same stone slabs as the plebs did as they watched all sorts of bloody deaths 2000 years ago, but you can now buy a cheap bit of foam to sit on.

I'd put it in one of the top 10 experiences in my life, maybe top 5. I stayed til the end. The fact that it's night in the open air in an enormous Roman arena creates an amazing atmosphere I can't put into words. There was a simultaneous electronic translation of the libretto in English and I thought it's probably going to be a bit of an iffy one but it wasn't and when it got to the bit where Aida's lover sang the line 'Let me build you a throne next to the sun' my jaw dropped.

I decided to visit Verona every year to see a different opera but Covid put a stop to that but I'm going back to Verona next month to see La Traviata and possibly Carmen too (the annual opera festival lasts nearly 3 months June-Sept and next year is the 100th festival so should be amazing). The scale of the Arena in Verona means hundreds of people can be involved on stage, it's so dramatic and the excitement in the air in the city centre beforehand.

Try an opera, go to Verona.

Ha, I saw Aida here 23 years ago and then 2 years later, Nabucco. It is one hell of a place to watch Opera. We sat right at the top, you could look ever the edge and see the kids in the square in their Vespa's listening to the music in the warm air. Magical place, so much so we were married there, Verona not the arena :)
 
We’ve been to the company which perform at Sunderland Empire a couple of times and seen Carmen and Madame Butterfly. The last one was performed by the Kiev national opera company a couple of months ago. They sang the national anthem at the end. They obviously got a standing ovation and weren’t too many dry eyes in the house. They were so good my wife took the kids the following night too. Would definitely recommend the opera, especially with the subtitles in English.
 
I went to see/hear opera for the first time in my life 3 years ago aged 70. It was Aida at the Verona Arena, the largest capacity (16,000?) functioning Roman arena. It doesn't start til it's dark and goes on for about 3 and a half hours finishing about 0030. I thought I can always leave if it sucks - I was on my own and didn't know what to expect or if I'd be able to follow what was going on though I'd read up on the basic storyline. I just got the cheapest ticket which means you sit on the same stone slabs as the plebs did as they watched all sorts of bloody deaths 2000 years ago, but you can now buy a cheap bit of foam to sit on.

I'd put it in one of the top 10 experiences in my life, maybe top 5. I stayed til the end. The fact that it's night in the open air in an enormous Roman arena creates an amazing atmosphere I can't put into words. There was a simultaneous electronic translation of the libretto in English and I thought it's probably going to be a bit of an iffy one but it wasn't and when it got to the bit where Aida's lover sang the line 'Let me build you a throne next to the sun' my jaw dropped.

I decided to visit Verona every year to see a different opera but Covid put a stop to that but I'm going back to Verona next month to see La Traviata and possibly Carmen too (the annual opera festival lasts nearly 3 months June-Sept and next year is the 100th festival so should be amazing). The scale of the Arena in Verona means hundreds of people can be involved on stage, it's so dramatic and the excitement in the air in the city centre beforehand.

Try an opera, go to Verona.


Agree with every word of that.

I’m going to see Carmen in Verona in August too.
Went about 20 years ago to see Nabucco and it was sensational - even had a short interlude for a thunder storm.
 
Ha, I saw Aida here 23 years ago and then 2 years later, Nabucco. It is one hell of a place to watch Opera. We sat right at the top, you could look ever the edge and see the kids in the square in their Vespa's listening to the music in the warm air. Magical place, so much so we were married there, Verona not the arena :)

Spine tingling aria
I just love it

 
Had the pleasure of watching Carmen in Verona last night.
Just spectacular - hundreds of cast members including scenes with men on horseback.

As we were watching we could also see the storm approaching…… it eventually reached us and the last 45 mins were rained off.
 
Had the pleasure of watching Carmen in Verona last night.
Just spectacular - hundreds of cast members including scenes with men on horseback.

As we were watching we could also see the storm approaching…… it eventually reached us and the last 45 mins were rained off.

Only ever looked around the arena, never seen a performance there, but love Verona just a beautiful place.
 
I've only seen a few operas in my life but I did enjoy them. Seen La Boheme a couple of times. Once by a group called "Opera up close". Check out anything they do. This one was in a tiny room above a pub in Kilburn. One of the scenes was actually performed IN the pub. It was brilliant to see an opera so close and intimate. Musetta's coat hit me as she stormed off on one scene, that's how close were!
 
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