Andrew took me to tour Deutche Oper Berlin, where he works.
I was amazed by how large it is, and how technical the behind the scenes of these theatres/opera houses. Deutche Oper was opened in 1912, but hugely revamped after World War II damages. Andrew showed me all of the lighting and rope work above the stage.
This stage can rotate . . . you can see the circle shape on the floor.
I also went into the below the stage area, and saw the massive pneumatics (is that the right word?) used to lift and lower portions of the stage and pit.
And then Andrew took me to look at the new ballet studio (Ginger, we got to watch some ballet dancers practice, but I felt to awkward to take pictures. . . so you just get a studio).
That night I watched Carmen from the third row (yay for "friends of the Opera" reduced price tickets). It was sung in French and had German subtitles, so I had to work pretty hard to understand any specifics. Broadly though, it was a treat to be so close to the costumes/set/orchestra, and I got the general idea.
I also went to a rehearsal for Samson and Delilah, and got to see first hand how staging decisions affected the sound of the singers, and watched as the director and chorus master adapted their plans, making for a more beautiful/full sound. Fascinating.
I was amazed by how large it is, and how technical the behind the scenes of these theatres/opera houses. Deutche Oper was opened in 1912, but hugely revamped after World War II damages. Andrew showed me all of the lighting and rope work above the stage.
This stage can rotate . . . you can see the circle shape on the floor.
I also went into the below the stage area, and saw the massive pneumatics (is that the right word?) used to lift and lower portions of the stage and pit.
And then Andrew took me to look at the new ballet studio (Ginger, we got to watch some ballet dancers practice, but I felt to awkward to take pictures. . . so you just get a studio).
That night I watched Carmen from the third row (yay for "friends of the Opera" reduced price tickets). It was sung in French and had German subtitles, so I had to work pretty hard to understand any specifics. Broadly though, it was a treat to be so close to the costumes/set/orchestra, and I got the general idea.
I also went to a rehearsal for Samson and Delilah, and got to see first hand how staging decisions affected the sound of the singers, and watched as the director and chorus master adapted their plans, making for a more beautiful/full sound. Fascinating.
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