Yes folks, I’m linking to Opera News Magazine today.
Now this is something I wouldn’t ordinarily read, but the cover caught my eye and when I opened it up I discovered that nearly the entire May issue was dedicated to Prague.
Prague, as you may or may not know, has an opera tradition just as fine as Vienna’s. In fact, Vienna’s favorite son, Mozart, lived here and composed such masterpieces as Don Giovanni.
Naturally, the city is also blessed with some outstanding opera houses bedecked in all the fine trappings you’d expect from such a culturally rich city. The National Theater and the art nouveau Municipal House are just two such examples.
Perhaps the best thing about opera in Prague is that one can see a world class performance in a world class theater for less than $20. Wow. And let me tell you, this is where I saw Carmen, my very first opera, and I was blown away. And I’m not even much of an opera fan.
If you, on the other hand are a big fan of the Fat Lady singing, or merely appreciative of the fine arts, take a moment to jump on over to the Opera News site where they’ve put together a nice selection of the following articles;
A profile of local star Magdalena Ko?ená
A historical perspective on the challenges of being a writer or artist during the communist regime
Why we in the West never heard about Prague’s finest opera singers during the Cold War
A photo gallery
Tips for dining and accommodations