Opera concerts can be held in a variety of venues. Usually there is an opera house or theater building, suitable for staging monumental operatic works, staged with orchestra, soloists and ballet in impressive scenery. Smaller opera performances are also staged in such buildings, and concerts of opera music are played, without stage action.
However, large spaces are conducive to staging grand opera works. When we go to an opera building, we expect to be enchanted by the singing, music and decorations. We perceive the work as a fusion of visual and musical arts.
The second popular venue for staging opera concerts are churches. Especially the historic ones, they have phenomenal acoustics, where the sound spreads in an extraordinary way. Most often these concerts are without stage action, but not infrequently accompanied by an orchestra or string quartet. Depending on the size of the church, the concerts are sometimes more intimate or with more flair. Each has a peculiar charm. In larger churches, the music soars to the high vault, enhancing the feeling of grandeur. In smaller ones, smaller concerts are usually played, giving us a sense of coziness and intimacy to the musical experience. The repertoire of concerts in a church is usually different from that in theater buildings. Works with a religious theme are chosen, or single arias from selected operas are performed.
Other places for an opera music concert are various kinds of urban spaces - such as parks, courtyards, large squares, libraries, museums, art galleries. In these non-obvious spaces, we can be enriched by unique impressions derived from the places where the concert takes place. We will perceive the work performed in a concert shell in a park differently, and differently in the comfort of an art gallery. Outdoor concerts also have additional acoustic and sonic impressions. At the same time, in addition to the music, we hear the sounds of the city, the birds, the people around us. We can't get perfect silence, which makes each exhibition very unique and different from the previous ones. Also of great importance is the weather, which may not interfere with the reception, but can also make it very difficult for the audience to listen to the sounds.
Regardless of the choice of where we will listen to a concert of opera music, it is worthwhile to focus on it and let ourselves be drawn into its beauty and character. Let the musical experience stay deep within us and let it enhance our mood every day.