If you’re a classical music enthusiast or an opera lover, you must have been to the Covent Garden or Scala once or twice. But I discovered something that beats even the gilded interiors of Opera Garnier: the exterior. Dream big: ancient theatre with view of the volcano, a huge lake stage or a musical terrace where you can see the sun rising 315 m over the sea.
Set in breathtaking outdoor locations, here are my favorite concert halls:
Teatro Greco di Taormina
Classical music but also rock concerts are taking place in the ancient theatre of Taormina, Sicily. A large crack in the original arena wall offers a magnificent view over Etna and the sea and provides a unique backdrop for any performance. No need for additional stage set there: http://www.teatrogrecotaormina.com/concerts/events.html
Ravello Festival
Ravello is by far the most beautiful thing on the already picture-perfect Amalfi Coast. But once you’ve seen the Alba Concert, you are among thehappyfew who literally touched heaven and lived to tell about it. The concert takes place at dawn on the overwhelming Rufolo terrace, watching the sun rise over the bay at 315m asl. http://www.ravellofestival.com/program
Arena di Verona
Come for the romance, stay for the opera. There is much more to the gorgeous town of Romeo and Juliet is than a humble balcony. There is the Arena di Verona, each summer in July and August.
Check out the schedule of performances here:
http://www.arena.it/…/en/pages/schedule-arena-di-verona.html
The Bregenz Festival
This is one secret gem: the opera on the lake in Bregenz, on the Austrian side of Lake Constance. At the end of the WWII, in a town that did not even possess a theatre, the idea of mounting a festival seemed eccentric; but the initially temporary solution of choosing the loveliest part of the town – the lake – as the stage proved to be a hugely successful one and endured as the city emblem. Every summer, the Bregenz Festival features original shows with amazing lake stage contraptions and daily performances. http://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en
