Opera houses of world renown

Every year, the Vienna State Opera transforms into an elegant ballroom where 5,000 guests gather to waltz. For this, the seating is removed and a floor is installed. The Vienna Ball, which takes place on February 20 under the motto "The Queen of the Night", has invited the first same sex couple to dance together as "debutantes" for the first time in its 200-year history.

The Semper Opera in Dresden was once again the setting for Germany's most beautiful ball. What is unique with the Semper Opera Ball is that not only the more than 2000 guests inside follow the gala program. It is also broadcast to the forecourt, where around 15,000 visitors sway to the sound of waltzes and turn the night into a glittering celebration.

Opened in 1875, it is one of Europe's largest opera houses. The building is a neo-baroque gem that is regarded in architectural history as a prime example of theatre construction. A special showpiece is the enormous marble staircase in the foyer, the perfect platform for vanities. The staging of the audience has always been at least as important as the staging on stage.

Opened in 1778, destroyed several times and rebuilt, the Scala is seen as the quintessential opera house. The annual season opening in December, kown locally as the "Inaugurazione," is celebrated with much pomp as a major social event. Many famous works were premiered here. The Scala will always be associated with one name: Maria Callas, a singer who set new global standards here in the 1950s.

A visit to the Bolshoi Theatre is an integral part of the schedule of any tourist visiting Moscow. After all, it is Russia's most renowned theatre for opera and ballet and one of the most beautiful theatre buildings in the world. The exquisite interior decoration dates from the middle of the 19th century and is still preserved in its original state to this day.

The New York Metropolitan Opera has been around since 1880, but it wasn't until it moved to the elegant Lincoln Center building in 1966 that the "Met" became what it is today: one of the world's leading opera houses. For more than 20 years, fans around the world have been able to attend the performances: live broadcasts in selected cinemas around the globe are held on a regular basis.

The most important opera house in Great Britain was founded in 1732. More than 20 operas and oratorios by Georg Friedrich Händel were premiered here. It is not necessary to have an opera ticket to take a look at the building, which was completely renovated at the turn of the millennium. Several cafés and restaurants open their doors for a stylish start to the day from 10 a.m. onwards.

This opera house is one of the most photographed tourist attractions in Sydney. After 14 years of construction, the visionary building was opened in 1973. The roof construction reached the limits of what was possible at the time: Computers controlled by punched cards took 18 months to calculate the curvatures and statics of all the roofs.

The building structures protrude into space like stones smoothly polished by the water of the Pearl River. This building by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid is considered by many fans of architecture and opera to be as groundbreaking for opera in the 21st century as once were the Paris Opera in the 19th century and the Sydney Opera for the 20th century.

In Copenhagen, you can go to the opera by boat. The spectacular building stands on an island opposite Amalienborg Castle and was a gift from the Danish billionaire Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller. After four years of construction, the 335 million euro (383 million $ US) building was inaugurated in 2005. Opera fans come from everywhere - because of the exciting architecture and the great acoustics.