This is What We Remember

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Hungarian State Opera, do it. Even if you are not an opera fan, put in your ear plugs and buy a ticket. They are not expensive and it is pleasure to simply sit for 2-3 hours in this beautiful space.

Moving on Toward the Theater

Above is the view looking in the direction the Emperor would walk up the stairs. Behind the woman is the mirror placed for them to see behind themselves.

Moving from the Masses to the Emperor's Entrance

The food concession area is on the front of the building and if you walk through it toward the front of the building, you pass through a beautifully panelled smoking area and onto the balcony overlooking Andrassy Street. Looking up and back toward the opera house we see a series of small balconies on floor up (I presume that they are useable by someone, just not me) and the intricately designed ceilings over them.

Heading Upstairs

Because there is a slope of the main floor of the opera house and there are practice and storage rooms below the stage, we need to go upstairs to get to the main portion of the building.

Back for the Tour

Our last outing in Budapest was a visit back to the Opera House for a tour. You've already seen some of this from our visit to see an performance, but I believe that the photos with the iPhone were limited both by where we could go during a public performance and by my ability to compose using the small camera. Today we start a series to correct those limitations.

Dohány Street Synagogue - III

In the main floor pews (we weren't allowed upstairs), each seat in each row is numbered starting nearest the centre aisle. Some even have name plates on them. I suspect that this is because the named person paid to have a particular seat.

Dohány Street Synagogue - II

It was much quieter today than it was back in 2019 for our first visit. This allowed me to more easily move around and photograph.

Dohány Street Synagogue

A few blocks away from the RUmbach Street Synagogue is the Dohány Street Synagogue. This is much larger and grander place. Above is the view from the side. The twin towers you can see the tops of that adorn the front as mostly obscured by trees and other distractions.

I posted photos of this marvelous place back in 2019. You can see similar photo of there.

Rumbach Street Conclusion

In addition to reproducing the original details, this building has been updated with all the modern lighting and sound amenities. The way these additions are suspended from the ceiling moves them away from the walls and the traditional elements of the space. This little bit of separation gives the traditional a place to be the dominant element in the room. 

It is easy to find views of the interior that show little or no signs of the modern additions. 

Only the electric lights (which were not here in the original) intrude on the stately designs. And we are so used to electric lighting that we simply don't notice it anymore.

A visit here is well worth the short walk from the Deák Ferenc square.

 

Rumbach Street Synagogue Continued

The colors and designs here are captivating. I find the mixture of blues and reds in the geometric pattern on the walls to be quite striking. they really draw the eye to the details.

Rumbach Street Synagogue

The Rumbach Street Synagogue was built in 1872 to to the design of the Viennese Architect Otto Wagner. Like the much larger Dohány Street Synagogue, it has a moorish theme to the design. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Nazis in the '40's. What we see today is a reconstruction funded by the Hungarian government and completed in 2021.

Opera House Lobby

And so, I bring these evening at the opera to a close with a few more images of the lobby area. The combination of gold and marble everywhere along with the brightly colored designs makes a lasting impression.

More Views from the Opera House

This really is a most marvelous place. And, in spite of its opulence, a very affordable place to spend the evening. Tickets start (for standing room admission) at about $10. While our seats in the orchestra near the front were more, they were still only about 1/10 the price you'd pay at the Royal Opera House in London or the Met  in New York.

The orchestra pit is pretty large and very little of it sits under the overhanging stage. This both fills the space with music and moves the audience back from the stage a bit more than in some other venues.

On this particular evening, this was a mixed blessing. The orchestra often overwhelmed the singers in this performance of "The Girl of the Golden West" (Puccini). There is some much to say about this performance that I'll save it for sometime when we can sit and talk about it (assuming you are actually interested). I'll just say that this performance was not one of our favorites. However, another opera we attended,"The Masked Ball" (Verdi), was much more to our taste. This opera company is capable of excellent work.

The lobby by the entrance of the opera house is very church-like in its appearance with columns and arches abounding. 

The barrel vault over the main portion of the lobby displays another extravagant usage of gold.

A really remarkable place to visit.

 

A Night at the Opera

The time tested method for a start to an evening at the opera is by visiting the restaurant next door for a slice of dobos torte. This delightful Hungarian cake is quite addictive.

Along the Danube not Far from Parliament

In the archeological expedition that turned up the previously unposted 2019 tour of the Parliament building, I also found unposted images of a memorial located on the Pest side of the Danube River. These are posted below.

Above is the view of the Buda shore as seen from Pest. In this view, in addition to seeing St. Matthias' Church (blogged) and the sundry former royal residence buildings, there is church in the foreground on the right facing to the right with its twin towers that faces Batthany Square. Farther to the right, out of the image is Bem József tér where throngs of people gathered on in October 1956 in a march that marked the beginning of the ill fated revolution.

End of the Tour

All parliament building have more than just a meeting room in them. there must office spaces for the MP's and the staff. It takes a lot of people to run a country. Judging from the size of this assembly room, it takes a really huge number of people (or at least that planned for the possibility) to do it here.

Tour Part 4

Here is a bad photo of the ceiling of the large domed room. I managed to sneak in one shot before I was forced to quit trying or be caught. Just in case you have not by now figured out that this is a cathedral to self-rule, here's your proof.

Parliament Tour Part 3

Now you begin to understand why I was confused that I hadn't already posted this tour back in 2019 when it happened. This place is way beyond a simple building providing a place for parliament to meet. This really is a secular church.

The Tour Continues

The insides of this gigantic building are known for the seemingly endless hallways.

Touring the Inside

So, I signed up for a tour of the Parliament building. Inside, it is a maze of corridors, stairs, and rooms of nearly every size all filled with plush carpet, tiled floors, dark wood accents, stained glass windows, and gilded surfaces.

It is a remarkable place. It must surely be inspiring to those who work there, even if they've been working there for some time.

As you can see this is much like a secular version of St. Stephan's (or it is a religious version of this place). It is not hard to image aides walking quickly and quietly along these halls transmitting information from one MP to another. It is a place that demands silence of the occupants.

Even if the decor is some sort of imitation (which it isn't), this place must have cost a fortune to build. It is the largest parliament building in Europe and it must certainly be one of the most ornate.

It makes the halls of power in the US look downright ordinary in comparison.