A Night At The Opera

Last weekend I went to the opera for the 1st time. A few things about the experience are impressive. First of all, the price. The most expensive seat in the house is the equivalent of 20.00 USD; this makes a front and center seat at the opera, cheaper than an average trip to the grocery store. The low price does not adversely affect the quality of the performance. The cast is quite large, and accompanied by a full orchestra. The leads were quite talented; with the major exception of the singer portraying the role of the villain. I saw Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” and thoroughly enjoyed it . The opera house is somewhat plain on the outside. However the inside is much more ornate, though not quite up to the level of some other European opera houses, such as the one in Budapest. The opera house was about two thirds full for the Sunday night performance. I was feeling cheap , and sat in the center of the balcony (only 10 USD) which was a perfectly good seat. While there, I noticed groups of younger children were there of their own accord. I love Europe.