Disclaimer: It's been 7 years since I've been to Lyon. So plenty may have changed in that time…read more
I visited the Lyon Opera twice. Once for the tour of the opera house and once for the performance of Falstaff.
The tour was excellent. I attended the one given in English, to the dismay of my professor. The tour takes you throughout the opera house, explaining the history of the building, the unique architecture, and the companies that use it. The building is an interesting blend of classic and modern. The performance space is actually suspended from the ceiling for optimal acoustics, since connecting to the foundation would have left is susceptible to the vibrations from the metro that goes almost directly underneath. One of the highlights of the tour is seeing the ballet practice studio at the top, with it's amazing light and views of the city. I would check the website for time and cost. I believe it was free or there was only a minimal fee (we were college students, after all, so it's not like we could spend a lot).
The performance of Falstaff (by Verdi) was great. They do have supertitIes (in French, obviously), so that you can follow along. I particularly like that OdL had full versions of the libretto printed with the Italian on one side and the French on the other for 5€, since I'm nerdy enough to want to follow along. The little orange light that is on the back of each seat (and in front of each seat) shed just enough for me to glance at the copy during the performance, comparing the Italian and French. Then again, I prefer French and Italian operas to German operas, and I might not have been so intrigued had it been a German opera. Tickets were reasonably priced for decent seat (again, we were college students). During intermission, the refreshments for sale are in one of the older portions of the building that overlooks the Place des Terreaux. Great views, and of course, much better wines than what we're used to drinking and our performing arts centers in Atlanta.
#Yelp365 - 182/365