When you take off for your study abroad program this summer, you should make it your goal to take every travel opportunity presented to you. This means that when you have the chance to head to Zürich for the weekend, you will want to jump at the possibility with little to no hesitation. While Francophiles may be content to stick around Geneva during their stint in Switzerland, those who would like to explore the Germanic portion of this nation's heritage and glean a more profound comprehension of Swiss culture should certainly head to Zürich.
As you tour around Europe as a whole, you may notice one distinct element that has a strong presence in nations of Germanic origin: music. If you didn't pay keen attention during your high school music classes, then you may not remember the fact that numerous masters of this auditory art form had roots in countries such as Austria, Germany and, of course, Switzerland.
Although it has been centuries since the most famous composers of all time were orchestrating their pieces in front of the masses, you can still hear their keystone works played in their original glory in opera houses throughout Europe. One such locale that you will come across is in Zürich, making it even more of a must-see destination.The city's tourism site explained that by visiting the Opernhaus Zürich, you can see a venue that boasts a great deal of prestige due to both its history and its current day beauty.
The original opera house, known as the "Actien-Theater," burned down in 1890. To replace this first structure, today's opera house was built in 1891 on the shores of Lake Zürich and quickly became a notable structure to which music lovers and generally curious spectators alike flocked. The building has been a true marvel, a prime example of elegant neobaroque architecture, as well as being the first opera house to feature electric lighting throughout the continent. The performance hall is a rotund space, which owes itself to impeccable acoustics. and is adorned with intricate arches and full of approximately 1,100 seats.
The first performance to grace the orchestra put of this opera house was Wagner's "Lohengrin." However, over time, it has put on a number of other commendable works composed by noteworthy musicians. Some of these artists include Wilhelm Furtwängler, Ferruccio Busoni, Richard Strauss and Othmar Shoeck – among many others.
Swing by the current opera house
Even today, this opera house is deemed on of the best locales to listen to music in the entire globe, and you will have the unique opportunity to see it while you are studying abroad. There are more than 270 performances carried out each season, and if you play your cards right, you could catch a show. All you have to do is head to the venue's website as soon as you know which weekend you will be in Zürich and peruse your options for performances.
What kinds of shows can you see here? Well, it offers selections of some pillar pieces in all of operatic history. Additionally, if you are looking for a little bit more action, you could always catch one of the ballets that this performance hall puts on throughout any given season.
If you don't want to dedicate an ample amount of time sitting in the seat of an opera house instead of touring around Zürich, you can always just stop to drink in the beauty of this monumental building. After that, you can refuel with some fondue and continue on your way, stopping at attraction after attraction.