Zurich sidesteps the opera ‘crisis’

With the opera world facing diminishing audiences and financial woes, Zurich Opera appears to be bucking the trend. Rated the world’s best opera house, can its success continue? There is a palpable air of anticipation and excitement among the opera house staff. It is mid-June and there are only a few days to go before Zurich Opera’s first-ever public opera screening: a live transmission of Verdi’s Rigoletto onto a huge screen in the square in front of the building. On stage, overlooking the opulent red and gold interior of the opera house, it is business as usual. Technicians – men, but also a few women – with electric screwdrivers and muscle power at the ready are preparing for the normal evening performance of Rigoletto. “It’s a very modern production in terms of stage design,” says stage manager Marc Linke. “Normally Rigoletto is more of an extravaganza type of set and here it’s a big black room with a big white table around which the actors do their acting.” … Show more
Source Culture – SWI swissinfo.ch