Following our first guide to some of the world's great opera houses by our local reviewers, here's a second edition covering Sydney to Berlin, from Montreal to Madrid. Want to know where to sit? When to book? Read on!
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House: Patricia Maunder
A striking building set on a spectacular harbour, the Sydney Opera House's wondrous exterior can exceed the experience inside. An unfortunate consequence of this house's iconic status is that many tourists take in an opera without realising that whispering during performances is inappropriate.
Most problems are due to its troubled construction, including the decision to shunt opera from the venue's largest space to its second-largest, recently dubbed the Joan Sutherland Theatre. Its small stage and pit can't accommodate large-scale productions and orchestras, and acoustics are problematic.
The advantages of this 1500-seat auditorium is an intimate performance experience and good sightlines for most. Views from balcony boxes and loges at the extreme left and right are restricted, however, sometimes so much so that tickets are only $44. For the same price, standing-room tickets are available at the box office from 9am on performance days, and student rush one hour before curtain-up.
Opera Australia subscriptions are available from August, and single tickets from October; book seats of your choice online through Opera Australia and the Sydney Opera House. Premium tickets are well over $200, and considerably more for the annual New Year's Eve Opera Gala, which segues into a party overlooking the eye-popping harbour fireworks.
Tip: Pre-order interval refreshments at the bars to maximise time admiring the harbour from the glass-walled foyers and outdoor terraces.
State Theatre, Melbourne: Patricia Maunder
An unusual aspect of the Arts Centre Melbourne's theatres building is that it's mostly underground. Wherever your ticket takes you, it will be downstairs, especially for the vast State Theatre's stalls. This 2000-seat auditorium looks onto one of the world's largest stages and a pit that accommodated 135 musicians for Opera Australia's 2016 Ring Cycle. It's the company's Melbourne home, and also hosts The Australian Ballet.
Acoustics are generally good throughout, but views are a different matter. The best seats are in the stalls' front half, and are also good centre-forward of the dress circle. Anything to the rear is some distance from the stage, while seats at the extremities of the balcony and dress circle have restricted views. While boxes at the balcony's far left and right are intimate spaces that provide close-ups of the ceiling's 75,000 little brass domes, sightlines are poor.
Prices are $65 for such seats, but expect to pay at least $100 for reasonable views, and well over $200 for the best. Single tickets are available from October; choose specific seats when booking online through the Arts Centre or Opera Australia. Discounted options include Opera Australia subscriptions available from August, and $44 student rush tickets sold at the box office one hour before the performance.
Tip: Pre-order interval refreshments at the bars to maximise time among the impressive collection of paintings by major Australian artists including John Olsen and Arthur Boyd.
Berlin: Ako Imamura
Berlin is blessed with three opera houses that present both traditional and modern repertoire almost nightly, often overlapping. An opera lover in Berlin often must select a performance among the three venues. Ticket prices are reasonable, thanks to large federal subsidy, although a premiere of a new production tends to be priced higher. The three houses offer discount to those under 30 years of age an opportunity to buy last minute tickets if available.
Deutsche Oper Berlin celebrated its 100th year anniversary several years ago in its functional and modern building with generous public space for pre-performance and intermission gatherings. Acoustics are excellent throughout, although somewhat distant on upper levels. The best location is in Parkett middle center. Many in the know quickly book Parkett Row 7 as seats starts raking here. The orchestra pit is low, making it possible for singers to be heard over the orchestra without too much exertion.
Ticket sales for general public begin mid to late March, and performances rarely sell out quickly, with an exception of the Ring Cycles. The famous “Subway” Ring by Götz Friedrich, presented for the last time in 2 cycles in April 2017, sold out within a couple of weeks. Discount tickets are available one week prior to the performance, to students, teenagers, retirees and the unemployed. Subscribers and those who purchase 9 or more performances are entitled to a discount.