can't believe nobody mentioned Budapest Opera House, much lauded as the most beautiful in Europe.<BR><BR>Opera subsidised in Hungary by governement so tickets start from about $5, not seen as a snobbish past time here as it is affordable for most.<BR><BR>I agree it is usually Americans who generally see opera as snobbish, they have little in the way of culture.

I agree about the Budapest opera. Truly amazing!

Over Xmas we were in Prague and visited their wonderful operas houses: <BR>Estates (Magic Flute),<BR>National (La Traviatea),<BR>and State Opera Nutcracker). <BR>All Magnificent!<BR><BR>On New Years Eve we went to the Met in NYC (Die Flatermaus). What a contrast. <BR>I loved having the sub-titles on the back of the chair in front of me at Met.

The posting by Marc brought to mind my first experience in opera as a young graduate. I was given tickets to the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. Not a spectacular opera house, but an unforgetable experience. Afterwards I stumbled into a small wine cellar where Jerome Hines and other members of the cast sang until around 2 in the morning.