Picture a balmy English summer’s evening, somewhere deep in the bucolic countryside of Sussex, England. We have gathered with opera connoisseurs and first-timers alike at Glyndebourne, arguably one of the world’s most picturesque opera venues. During the extended 90-minute interval of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), the audience, bedecked in their finest tuxedos and evening gowns, stroll out from the auditorium blinking in the evening sunshine. Soon the landscaped grounds of this country mansion are dotted with groups of elegant picnickers. Popping champagne corks intersperse the refined chatter discussing the performance so far, while sheep graze peacefully in the neighboring fields. Meanwhile, the dulcet tones of the lead tenor can be heard keeping his vocal cords warmed up for the remaining acts.

Founded in 1934 by opera lovers John Christie and his wife, Audrey Mildmay, the Glyndebourne Festival has become a much-loved part of the British summer season along with other notable events such as Wimbledon, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and Royal Ascot. Watching a performance at Glyndebourne is an unforgettable experience I was first introduced to in my 20s, and it was a joy to introduce my teenage daughter to this quintessentially English cultural event last summer. Similar in atmosphere and prestige is Garsington Opera, now located on the Wormsley Estate, the home of the Getty family in Buckinghamshire, England. Known for its eclectic repertoire and high production values, Garsington productions take place in a specially built Opera Pavilion. A semi-open structure with excellent acoustics, it allows natural light to flood in while offering views of the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Image credit: Shutterstock. Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art was one of Pei’s toughest commissions

La Traviata performance at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Image credit: Alamy

Image credit: iStock; Bastille square Paris France Sunny day Winter

The Magic of Opera

Pei was raised in Canton, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, where he attended Saint John’s Protestant missionary school. When a hotel he saw under construction along Shanghai’s waterside Bund area caught his eye, he began to sketch buildings. His father had hopes of his son becoming a doctor, but in 1935, although offered a place at Oxford – a university that says studying medicine because that is what is expected of you is never a good idea – Pei set sail for the United States, where he studied engineering and architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With the outbreak of World War II, and unable to travel home to China, Pei settled happily in the States, undertaking war service in an engineering firm making fuses for incendiary bombs designed to destroy buildings, working for the U.S. National Defense Research Committee and marrying Ai Ling (Eileen) Loo, an art and botany student who came from a similar Chinese background to his own. They were together for the rest of their lives. Post-war, Pei enrolled at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design under Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer of Bauhaus fame, before working as the in-house architect for William Zeckendorf, the New York property tycoon. Pei left in 1955 to establish his own Manhattan practice.

The famous Carmen opera by French composer Georges Bizet contains love, obsession, and jealousy. Image credit: Alamy

Image credit: Shutterstock. Beautiful buildings on Lake Pichola, a large, fresh water man-made lake in Udaipur

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Opera’s Global Stage

Life & Arts

It is the unique atmosphere of watching opera in Verona that has enchanted audiences for decades

Image credit: Shutterstock. Castillo San Felipe del Morro was designed to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay

December 2024 (Volume 26)

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While the surroundings of Glyndebourne and Garsington may be breathtakingly beautiful on a summer’s evening, it is the opera performance itself that always takes center stage. For those two or three hours, you are transported into another world – a world of grand, almost instantaneous romance, sparkling comedy, and often searing tragedy. And yes, the heroine almost always dies. The unfolding drama is described with a succession of soaring arias and rousing choruses, guaranteed to capture the hearts of even the most skeptical of operagoers. The captivating, unforgettable melodies, such as “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot (immortalized by Luciano Pavarotti) and the “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen, are just some of the works that have transcended the world of opera to become part of our wider popular culture. Opera may have at one point enjoyed a somewhat rarefied reputation, but these days audiences are multigenerational. And while the opera is normally sung in its original language, the use of subtitles above the stage allows everyone to easily follow the plot.

Located in the heart of London’s Covent Garden, the historic Grade 1-listed Royal Opera House is still resplendent after its major transformation at the turn of this century. Walking into the large iron and glass structure of the Paul Hamlyn Hall, you are immediately reminded of its former use as a flower market. Today, however, this impressive, light-filled space features elegant bars, perfect for your pre-performance champagne cocktail. Inside the auditorium itself, the audience is enveloped in a luxurious decor of ornate gold and lustrous red velvet, a reminder of why “Covent Garden” is regarded as one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. Mainland Europe is more than blessed with exceptional opera houses: Paris’ 19th-century masterpiece – and the setting for The Phantom of the Opera – the Palais Garnier; and Milan’s La Scala to name a couple. Tucked away in Venice’s maze-like streets, La Fenice is an exquisite example of neoclassical style; the rich interior is decorated with gold leaf, stucco, and intricate frescoes. Visitors are sometimes allowed to attend dress rehearsals – a more relaxed way to watch an opera house in action as the final touches are put into a production.

One of the venues that has done much to widen the appeal of the art form is the annual summer festival of opera in the city of Verona, Italy. Running from mid-June to early September, performances are held in the spectacular Arena di Verona, an ancient Roman amphitheater which seats up to 22,000 people, making it the largest open-air opera house in the world. The acoustic excellence of the venue is a given and many of opera’s greats, including Maria Callas, have graced its stage in numerous opera grand set pieces, such as Verdi’s Aida. However, it is the unique atmosphere of watching opera in Verona that has enchanted audiences for decades. Performances begin at dusk and the audience bring small candles, called “mocoleto”, which are lit as darkness falls. The ambiance of candlelight fused with a warm Italian summer’s night and the sense of history you feel sitting on those ancient stone seats makes for a truly magnificent experience.

Palais Garnier in Paris is renowned for its Neo-Baroque architecture. Image credit: Shutterstock

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Slowing Down in Italy

Moving to more conventional opera houses, the great cities of the world are blessed with auditoriums whose splendid grandeur more than do justice to the tremendous works performed within. In New York, a night at the Metropolitan Opera, or the Met as it is more often called, conjures up images of glamour and sophistication – a chance to dress up and mingle with New York society. A peek at the 2024/25 season shows why a ticket for the Met is one of the most sought-after in opera circles. Revivals of timeless classics, such as Aida, Salome, and Fidelio, are scheduled alongside premieres of new productions – all featuring some of the biggest contemporary opera stars, such as Benjamin Bernheim (who performed in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics), Angel Blue, and Bryn Terfel.

The white sail-like shells of Sydney Opera House make it instantly recognizable. Image credit: Shutterstock

Opera Houses of the World’s Great Cities

and rousing choruses, guaranteed to capture the hearts of even the most skeptical of operagoers. The captivating, unforgettable melodies, such as “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot (immortalized by Luciano Pavarotti) and the “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen, are just some of the works that have transcended the world of opera to become part of our wider popular culture. Opera may have at one point enjoyed a somewhat rarefied reputation, but these days audiences are multigenerational. And while the opera is normally sung in its original language, the use of subtitles above the stage allows everyone to easily follow the plot.

Milan’s La Scala is one of the world’s leading opera houses. Image credit: Shutterstock

Tucked away in Venice’s maze-like streets, La Fenice is an exquisite example of neoclassical style

While the architecture of the 18th and 19th century remains the predominant style for the world’s great opera houses, some cities offer a more contemporary take. The dramatic sloping roof of the Oslo Opera House, open for the public to walk up, has made it one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts favors clean, modern lines, glass façade, and an interior of rich wood paneling. However, the most instantly recognizable of all the world’s opera houses – perhaps indeed of any building – remains the Sydney Opera House. It was here that I was lucky enough to watch my very first opera, Verdi’s Otello, while traveling around Australia. Opened to the public in 1973, it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a “great architectural work of the 20th century.” Perched on a promontory in Sydney Harbour, its distinctive white sail-like shells have made it an enduring emblem of Sydney and Australia, and a cultural landmark like no other.

Huge creatures frame a rotating stage for The Magic Flute on Lake Constance, Austria. Image credit: Alamy

Modern interpretations

Composed by Giacomo Puccini in 1895, La Bohème follows the story of two impoverished lovers, poet Rodolfo and seamstress Mimi in 1830s Paris. Meeting by chance, they fall quickly in love, but their happiness is marred by Mimi’s worsening illness and Rodolfo’s jealousy. Meanwhile, Rodolfo’s friend Marcello, a painter, has a turbulent relationship with the flirtatious Musetta. Sung in Italian, the story follows the ups and downs of romance as well as the bitter realities of bohemian life and poverty. The opera ends poignantly with Mimi, whose illness is now terminal, dying in the arms of Rodolfo. La Bohème was the inspiration for the Broadway musical Rent. Composer Jonathan Larson transposed the story to focus on a group of struggling artists and friends in New York’s East Village during the AIDS crisis.

La Bohème

This much-loved opera by Mozart was first performed in 1791, just two months before the composer’s premature death. Influenced by Mozart’s interest in freemasonry, the plot follows the adventures of Prince Tamino, who is tasked by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the high priest Sarastro. Ultimately, Prince Tamino comes to admire the ideals of Sarastro and he and Pamina join his community, while the Queen is vanquished. At the heart of the story is the lovable comic character Papageno, a half-bird, half-man creature who helps Prince Tamino in his quest for love. Sung in German, The Magic Flute is perhaps most famous for the aria sung by the Queen of the Night, “Der Holle Rache” (“Hell’s Vengeance”). The aria depicts the Queen flying into a vengeful rage and entreating her daughter Pamina to assassinate her rival, Sarastro.

The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte)

An opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet, who died suddenly after its 33rd performance, Carmen initially shocked audiences when it was first performed in 1875. However, Carmen has since become one of the most popular operas in the classical canon. Set in Southern Spain, it is the classic tale of passionate love and the tragic consequences of jealousy. The protagonist Don José falls in madly in love with the alluring gypsy Carmen, abandoning his military post and his childhood love. Carmen soon shifts her attentions to the famous toreador Escamillo, before being stabbed to death by José in a jealous rage. Carmen’s enduring appeal is due to its depiction of deep, authentic emotions and its wonderful melodies, many of which are instantly recognizable, including the “Habanera” and “Toreador Song.”

Carmen

A beginner’s guide to three classic operas

It is the unique atmosphere of watching opera in Verona that has enchanted audiences for decades

Image credit: Shutterstock. Milan’s La Scala is one of the world’s leading opera houses

Image credit: Shutterstock. The white sail-like shells of Sydney Opera House make it instantly recognizable

Opera Houses of the World’s Great Cities

In the heart of the verdant Bois de Vincennes park, this beautiful lake is popular for sunbathing and games of pétanque, with rowing boats to hire for heading to an island in the middle, perfect for picnics. Don’t miss the romantic colonnaded Temple of Love.

Lac Daumesnil

The canal stretches for 67 miles; for Parisians the initial 2-mile promenade begins at the Stalingrad metro station and runs up as far as the Bassin de la Villette, an artificial lake. Barges moored at the quaysides offer casual dining, movie theaters, and live music, while the sprawling green park of La Villette has been transformed into a cultural hub with museums and concert venues.

Canal de l’Ourcq

Constructed by Napoleon, this shady tree-lined canal, beginning at the Port de l’Arsenal by Bastille (above), is home to lively bars and bistrots, perfect for picnics and window-shopping in the day, with partying often going on into the early hours at the weekend.

Canal Saint-Martin

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