The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national Opera Theatre in the city at the head of the Oslo Fjord, is the largest single culture-political initiative in contemporary Norway. It’s the largest cultural building to be raised in Norway since Nidarosdomen (= Cathedral) and an important symbol of what modern Norway represents as a nation. The building’s expression of openness and accessibility both indoors and outdoors, appeals to a wide range of users. The roof landscape is clad in artistically formed white Italian marble – actually, this opera house is the world’s only were you can walk on the roof:
My photo on Flickr with most hits (more than 20 000 hits)
Two of our blog friends, Ginnie from Georgia, US and Astrid from the Netherlands, could not make it to the Oslo Blog Gathering in August 2010. So they came in April this year instead, to explore and have a taste of Oslo and Norway; our culture, history, traditions and habits. This post is from their third day of four,exploring the Oslo New Opera House (click all pics to bigify & enjoy):
Left: All Blog Friends at the entrance of The Opera – Right: Ginnie & Astrid in front of The Opera
Two days before we saw the Opera house from the seaside on our Oslo Fjord boat sightseeing trip:
Left: Ginnie photo hunting – Right: The new Opera House.
Guided tour in Norway Opera House:
Up to 50,000 persons visit the new monumental building at the Oslo waterfront each week most of them for a recreational adventure outdoors. This really shatters the myth about a cultural building like the opera being dull and difficult and only an indoor adventure and shows that the opera is more than entertainment for the bourgeoisie. However, a guided tour inside is worthy too and we always try to find time when blog friends are visiting:
The House is workplace for 600 people divided between more than 50 different trades and professions – among them about 100 seamstresses:
Left: Ginnie & Astrid in the sewing room – Right: Costume for the Nutcracker.
This production section holds all facilities that are necessary for the production of an opera or ballet: workshops, storerooms, dressing rooms, cloakrooms, offices as well as audition and rehearsal rooms – with an inspirational view to the Oslo Fjord:
The acoustics are the most important criteria for success for the new Opera House. It has therefore been a primary objective that the acoustics in the Main auditorium are of best quality. Experience shows that a horseshoe form is the best design for achieving optimum acoustics in an opera theatre, which is why the design was adopted:
Materials are also important for tone and timbre. Modern preference is for timbre, where music is prioritised over song and speech. In the Main auditorium, the objective is to achieve a resonant solution that meets requirements of reverberance, early decay time and loudness.
This is day three of four from our Blog Friends Astrid and Ginnie’s adventures – so stay tuned for more in the next posts!
Update:
Go read Ginnie’s first post from their adventures in Norway!
…. and of course my wife DianeCA’s post about their visit too!
You know I am thrilled to death, dear Renny, to see you writing about our time with you. We will never, ever forget the memories. We feel so lucky! Thank you. TUSEN TAKK.
My pleasure Ginnie – it was a thrill to meet up with you & Astrid!
Oh how much fun! Love the pics and congrats on your Opera photo that is getting so many hits! I’m itching to get out more but thus I still need to rest and recover more. So reading and blogging it is for more.. :)
Yea, another good reason to come and visit one day you know!
Good to know from FB that you are doing fine with the new born :-)
The opera is a wonderful piece of architecture! Beautiful photos Renny!
I do agree & thanks my friend!
Hello Sir,
I am having a travel site of pr4 interested in link exchange. If interested add me in your blog roll and mail me I will add you at once.
The traveller.
I like new opera house design. The interior is so important for any house, office etc.,
This is such a FANTASTIC Building! And one hopes what is presented there is as equally Fantastic!
I can see why so many people want to come visit this amazing structure—How great that you were able to spare the time to show these ladies around the Opera House AND Oslo, too!
wow, what a wonderful place to be visited. Thanks for such awesome pics
wish t visit Oslo one day! i believed it is a very interesting city…wishing you a lovely day Renny!
It is great that you and your wife continue to write your wonderful blogs! I seem to have almost abandoned mine. I use so much time trying to improve my photos and doing other things online.
I love the Opera House and visit it quite often, there is always something to photograph. Many of those visitors have sent photos to the Oslo Opera Group on Flickr, which now has over 3770 photos. I am also grateful for the photos you have shared with us.