“But you must remove these shoes!” He says that the lady at the entrance strictly indicates the sandals of a foreign visitor – in fact, quite convenient – paragraphs. A quick glance at the surrounding quantity proves that, in the visible amount, all other people in sneakers or a campaign of sandals came to the evening opera.
“I have already seen so many people at these steps!” The next morning we will hear the guide, while we look at the Steinerne theater theater with above.
Delion de Horod Atticus, called Herodeon for a short, is located directly under the acropolis, and the decorative destruction of his stage house, which is only partially dilapidated, is part of the famous antique horizon of Athena.
Patronage 2000 years ago
The fact that the building is not only intensively used to this day, but is probably the most popular place in the city as a whole, impressively proves that private patronage can pay off for a long time. Herodes Atticus, the founder of this oldest still preserved ancient Odeon Theater, died almost 2000 years ago, but his name is still on his lips.
Among other things, the theater of the Athens of the Epidaurus, in which the stars of the classical musical scene of Atticus, on which the stars of the world of the classical musical scene take place; And the festival is always preceded by the production of the Greek national opera. This year, Turandot Jakomo Puccini in the walls of Gerodion can lead to death to his clients.
For two years, the creative team of the opera theater has prepared the production of Andrei – for a long time, which, among other things, was used to create complex buildings. A stage stem was created of artificial stones -blocks, which are not visually differentiated from real stone buildings in the background.
Items against hot summer evening
In the end, an enthusiastic audience claps, joins and whistles strongly, but pleasantly short. Other countries, other customs
Marble is definitely real, in turn, of which 5,000 people consist of the hall. In fact, the stages that spectators should rise, prove as steep, smooth and narrow; A certain risk of injury cannot be rejected. Under the simple soles of the legs, the still warm stone feels wonderful. Cool Rock would be even more beautiful, because on this hot evening of summer not a single breeze is blowing. People do everything possible to correct the aviation traffic jam using load -bearing items.
But sitting on the marble steps of an ancient audience for three hours, located close to the other, additional bodies, is definitely physically difficult. Nevertheless, everyone is waiting, because the scene is fascinated; In addition, actresses are even more difficult in their luxurious costumes, Rich fabrics (Chloé Obolensky), which, of course, are not easy to wear in these climatic conditions.
Relief is written on the face of the dancers when they can at least remove their masks for final applause. The burden of many layers of clothing was not able to harm their performance, and the singers are also located.
Katherine Foster in the role of Turando and Riccardo Mass in the role of Prince Kalaf is impressive in voice, but the young soprano Maria Kosovits, like a slave Liu, concerns the greatest lyrical design. Herodeon himself proves the wall of his half dilapidated Skene, from which the sounds clearly and clearly go to the funnel of the hall, which the ancient builders understood a lot of acoustics.
A multi -cultural youth ensemble
Change of scene. The next evening, the bustle, in the south of the metropolis, youth and their families through the lobby of the House of Greek National Opera. “(Another) winter journey” (“ένα (άλλο) χειμωνιάτικο ταίδι”) is a representation that should take place immediately, and for which the multi -cultural venal ensemble has been for a long time. Well, protected by Athenian teenagers is the same part as secondary refugees.
The “Winter trip” of Franz Schubert served as the basis for a mixture consisting of an ensemble and several Solonian numbers created by the composer of Panos Iliopoulos, which concerns the journey of life, which was already so difficult for some young people.
Leubert’s melody passes through the expense. The intercultural choir for adults is invested by Schubertshe and other wise who dance, sing and say young people, get up and again in a row, go through the microphone, say existential things in many languages.
Young people and their shooting history
The worst in his life was “time on the ship,” says the boy, the other talks about depression. The young African articulates so crystal clear that it becomes clear how urgently he wants him to understand: “You, beautiful people of Greece, you are the best thing in my life.” This is very touching, as well as the fact that the young woman is on the verge of the stage and interprets the complete performance in the language of gestures.
The finale is in the style of rhythm, in the optimistic alienated version of Schubert’s death “goal”, powerfully dancing and emphasizing life. In the end, an enthusiastic audience claps, plays and whistles strongly, but (pleasant) briefly, like the audience of the evening, with always sold “Turandot”. Other countries, others.
The Mediterranean, thanks to which some of the “winter trip” of Greece youth could be achieved, is only a few hundred meters, you can see it from the roof of the opera. This roof is a special place, because the opera building is only part of the larger whole. The star architect Renzo Piano created a construction ensemble on the former terrain on a rocky highway from 2008 to 2016, which, in addition to the Greek national opera, which is the only opera theater in the country, also contains the National Library.
The gift of the Foundation Stavros Niarhos
Both houses that signal cultural transparency outside by completely glazing are structurally connected, share a large walk on the roof and integrated into a spacious parking lot. The ensemble is called the “Cultural Center of the Foundation Stavros Niarhos.” This is a gigantic individual pollution by the Greek state, a donation from the Foundation Stavros Niarhos, its founder and namesake, a difficult shipowner, died in 1996.
The area in which the cultural center and the park are located is called Kallithea, which means “beautiful view.” Nevertheless, there was nothing to see when Renzo Piano took over the project. A large inner master is separated from the sea at that moment. Thus, the piano sent himself to restore the form and, at least, visually connect the city with water.
The highest point of the ensemble, closest to the sea, is now exactly over the opera theater: a huge viewing terrace called Faro, a lighthouse. For everyone who wants a quick rise, it is available through a glass elevator at the “Agora” site between the opera and the library. Among other things, there is a large glazed (air) pavilion on the roof terrace on which there are armchairs, books and a piano for spontaneous use.
However, outside the pavilion, you brutally encountered the buildings of the past, despite the beautiful view of the sea. The multi -level city highway, which lies between the cultural center and the sea, cannot be overlooked and, of course, not ignore.
View terrace with street noise
The visually formidable idea of the architect about the peasant’s coronalist with a giant free roof has an acoustic fatal effect, since a large horizontal surface, in it, the skid of the ancient theater is comparable, captured street noise and reflects on the viewing terrace lying under the roof, thus is doubled.
This is the better when the roar gradually becomes quieter when descent. Because the roof is available not only, but also smoothly and on foot connected to a slightly rising park. There, bushes and trees donate a lot of shadows, here and there you can see art, there are numerous gaming zones, countless seats, and in the cafe you can relax on the roof that found it too loud for the roof on the roof. Kayak drives on a long water pool, which borders on the park and the cultural center.
Not a single tycoon, dead or alive, could create his wealth more than people, more friendly people. Nevertheless, it is doubtful whether Niarhos will be Stavros in the distant future, which can lead to durability with Herod. In any case, it is difficult to imagine that our current concrete buildings of glass and settled on glass and inventing will still be played for 2000 years.
The study for this article was supported by the Greek national opera.