History of the State Opera

The State Opera in Prague opened in 1888 was the New German Theatre. Although the outside of the building is rather drab, it is nothing compared to the incredible neo-renaissance decoration in the interior. The exterior of the building does feature decorations of busts of famous musicians such as Goethe, Mozart, and Schiller, as well as characters fro

Interior of the Prague Opera

m mythology, always significant in Operas, such as Pegasus, Icarus, Cupid, Athena, Leda and others.

The interior makes this building known worldwide as one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe. In 1886 architect Alfons Wertmüller was inspired by the opera houses in Vienna to create a fury of gold and stucco for his new Opera house in Prague. The style of the interior features neo-Rococo decorations.
It features traditional baroque designs with lots of stockworks and gold leafing. Asymmetrical designs grow like flowers across the ceiling and along the balconies. They are graceful and almost weave your mind into a lullaby while looking at them. Inside the larger designs on the roof were dark frescos of famous scenes from the many operas once put on inside these doors.

When the Opera opened, Wagner’s opera “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” was their first performance. The night we were visiting, we were off to see “Carmen,” an opera by French composer Georges Bizet. Although written by a Frenchman, it is set in southern Spain and follows the life of Don José, a naive soldier seduced by a sultry gypsy named Carmen.

The Production

The production was beautifully designed, well sung and touched on the comedic aspects with dexterous aplomb. We had bought box seats since they weren’t much more expensive than the regular ones, and we knew we wouldn’t have many chances to experience this luxury! And luxurious it was. The seats weren’t the most comfortable, the box itself was like something out of Phantom of the Opera, and the ornate decoration in the booth made you feel like someone special.

Exploring the Opera House

During intermission, we got to admire the detailing around the Opera house. Outside the main theatre, there was only white and gold colouring, and one can only imagine what things would have looked like when the elite of Prague came to the Opera in their colourful finery. We got a few snacks during intermission to enjoy throughout the rest of the show. I was amazed by how compelling the production was; even Dan seemed to enjoy the entire show. After it all was over, we were exhausted from a long day of travel, sightseeing and smiling.

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