Photo Diary: Best of Prague

3 Operas in 3 Days

This is what I call a chance happening. My entire decision to go to Prague was the result of spending too long in a doctor's office in LA. While in the lobby waiting for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, I mindlessly flipped through a travel magazine to pass time. Upon doing so, I came across an advertisement for Hotel Don Giovanni, in Prague. This caught my attention, because Don Giovanni happens to be my favorite opera of all time. The ad had a little blurb about Don Giovanni debuting in Prague in 1787. I was surprised that I didn't already know this, what with me thinking myself to be cultured and all. But hell, at least I have seen enough operas to have a favorite, it's too much to expect that I'll know the years and cities of each one's debut. Geez.

Anyways, I began to wonder if it would be worth it to make a visit to Prague and see an opera there. After doing a little research, I found that Don Giovanni would be playing at the Estates Theatre that winter! Actually, I'm sure they play it year-round for the tourists, but this was still a marvelous discovery. I immediately reserved my tickets to Prague.

Then, high on opera fumes, I learned that there were no fewer that two other opera houses in Prague and I got greedy and wanted to see them all! So I bought tickets to two more operas, on two more nights, and made a trio of the whole thing.

Day 1: 

The first opera we saw was Aida, by Verdi, playing at the National Theatre. I'm not a huge fan of this opera, but I thought I would give it another chance. Did I mention the tickets in Prague are dirt cheap? I would be at the opera every weekend if this were the case in the states. 

Day 2: 

On this day we saw Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre! This is the exact same theater where the opera debuted 200 years ago. I like to image I saw it the way Mozart's  contemporaries did...minus the jeans I wore. I know, I know. The bad manners alarm is flashing. But I'm a tourist and Prague is damn cold. Just be glad I was there at all.

Day 3: 

 On the third day we saw Rigoletto (also Verdi), another of my favorites, at the State Theatre. We were running late for this one, so I didn't get a lot of photographs from the outside. However, we actually got our own private room! Tickets were so cheap in Prague, I couldn't resist the upgrade! Even though we were kind of pooped out from all the operas, it was nice to end the journey in style.