The weather was a bit chilly so I decided to view an indoor attraction, the Hungarian State Opera House. It was in fact walking distance from my lodgings in Király Street. It even has a metro stop named after it.
Unlike most stations on other lines, this station is just beneath the street with one flight of steps to reach it.
The building itself was under renovation so performances had been moved elsewhere, but tours of the interior, except for the hall itself, were still running.
Tour sessions were in the afternoon so I bought a ticket for later. However I will combine the photos of the first visit and the afternoon tour to keep this post on theme.
The building is neo-renaissance and the interiors are richly decorated.
Construction was supported by the city of Budapest and
Emperor Franz-Joseph I. Later during the tour, the guide mentioned that a proviso of the imperial support was that it could not exceed the
Vienna State Opera in grandeur. It was a favourite of
Sisi.
Paintings on the ceiling.
Gilded arches and marble.
Mosaic floor.
Later that afternoon, waiting in queue to ascent the staircase.
We were divided up into 3 groups each headed by a guide.
The bar where drinks are served.
The walls of the bar.
Large mirror.
Red carpeting.
The opera hall being under renovation we were only given glimpses of it from the antechamber.
On the main staircase behind the guide, they were setting up for a small performance to top our tour.
The accompanist played incidental music while we assembled.
The singers performed 3 pieces for us. The first was
Quando me'n vo' a.k.a Musetta's Waltz from La Bohème.
Her fellow performer arrives. I'm guessing that they were students or understudies, certainly not famed performers.
I forget what the second piece was but the last was a duet from
The Magic Flute.
A rousing climax and that was the end of the tour.
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