Here are some pictures from Toronto’s new opera house. It opened in June 2006. The outside of the building is fairly plain but the inside is inspired. My favorite change from the Hummingbird Centre is that the R. Fraser Elliott Hall has an open orchestra pit which gives the musicians their rightful place as performers.
The auditorium is an accoustic marvel. I could hear everything during the performance, including purses zipping, heavy breathing, candy wrappers opening. I think it will take people a while to realize how good the sound is. A crisp nudge wouldn’t hurt either…
You can sit on these gargantuan stairs-cum-bleachers to watch the opera talk. It’s a natural focus point that elevates the viewers, not the speakers.
As you move up and down stairs or turn corners, every new angle gives an interesting view. It will take me a while to see it all since we did not arrive in time to do a tour.
These pictures were taken by my husband when he went to see the complete Ring Cycle with his mother (That should be a blog and a half — but not because he took his mother.)
I noticed that the crowd on Saturday night was more dressed up than usual for Cosi Fan Tutti. Perhaps it’s the effect of the new opera house. It makes the archetecture watching and people watching even better. Looks like we’re in for a fine season – or is that Four Seasons?