Prague Opera Houses
 

We will be in Prague Easter week and the following operas will be performed:
The Magic Flute, Rusalka and Nabucco. We have seen The Magic Flute. Any info about Rusalka and Nabucco?
Do you prefer the State, National or Estates Theater in Prague?

Have only been to the beautiful National Theatre. We attended the ballet Onegin.
Rusalka by Dvorak is not often performed in N. America. Nabucco is more available here. I'd happily go to both/either, though Nabucco is a known quantity as far as music is concerned. Tickets are available at the theatre itself.

Each theater is wonderful. Each belonging to its own age and they get more ornate and fabulous over time. The Estates Theater, being the oldest, is wonderfully rickety and is steeped with history. Mozart introduced something or other there there (chek out the staure out front). Because they are spread out accross town you might take into consideration how far you will be form your hotel, that is if you intend to walk. I did see the Magic Flute at the National Theater and recommend it highly. Unlike the others there will be little language barrier just pure magic.

Saw Nabucco in the State Theatre in Oct.It's very close to Mala Strana. Don't expect subtitles in English.(You'll just have to read it in Czech.)Opera was wonderful. Buy your tickets online from Bohemia Ticket Office.

I've been to all three. They are all beautiful but I think the National Theater was the most impressive. Next I'd say the Estates Theater, then the State Opera.
I didn't much care what was playing, just wanted to experience all the theaters.

Thank you all for your responses. We will definitely try to attend both operas. Now we are trying to decide which ballet to see...Raymonda at National or Family Album at the Estates. Thank you again for your help.

We are going to be in Prague about April 6 to April 10. This thread got me interested in what would be playing and it turns out we can see Swan Lake at the National Theater. I see a place to buy tickets on line at www. ticketsonline.cz. Has anyone used this service, and is this the best way (price, seat location) to get tickets?

I think that service is okay but I've never used them. I bought mine on hotelsprague.cz, a great site that I used for my hotel, airport transfer and theater tickets. They get you the best price and location available and for a small fee will deliver the tickets to your hotel. I was very pleased with the service and with the seats I got.

I think all three theatres are beautiful, of course, but I've only been to a performance at the National. I choose where to go based on the program, rather than the venue.

Personally, I would choose Rusalka in the Czech Republic because it is Czech and I don't think anyone else in the world does it as well as they do. I believe in going to performances that may have some local significance or that are special to an area, if I have a choice, rather than just going to an opera I can see as well in other foreign countries. Of course, some people may not like the actual music or opera as well as others (Rusalka has some beautiful music, mainly know for the area), but it depends what your goal is.

As for the ballet, Raymonda has some nice musical segements in the score by Glazunov, but I don't consider it a great ballet by any means. I would definitely choose the Family Album ballet, but it depends what you want. That is a selection of short pieces by modern choreographers, including the director of the National Theatre (Zuzka), and some Dutch choreographers (Galili and Janssen).

I forgot to say I've gotten tickets through both ticketpro.cz (which I picked up at their office in Prague near Wenceslas Square), and on the National Theatre's own website which I picked up at the theatre.

another vote for Rusalka, we saw it in Prague and it was amazing.

How do you find the National Theaters own website? When I googled it I got the ticketsonline.cz site.

oops. That should be

www.narodni-divadlo.cz

Darling, if you are going to a performance at the State Opera, you must have dinner at Zahrada v. Opere next door. The food is delicious, the decor divine--I call it "Zen-Whimsy."

For a detailed restraunt review of Prague, read <The Pancaky Papers: Thingorjus in Praha>. You can find it by doing a search.

Love you, hate your shoes.

S1951, you can rely on a Balenciaga recommendation. Clutching the Pancaky Papers throughout my first Praha visit, I followed his instructions to seek out a certain shop in Tyn Square and was enchanted for an entire afternoon. Thank you B.

I am so glad you had a wonderful afternoon at Dr. Botanicus. I am longing for one of the homemade strawberry jams. Max......Max......fuel up the jet....we are heading off to Prague!

John G.

Thank you to all who responded..... Rusalka gets the vote and buying the tickets today. We will also check out the Zahrada v. Opere for dinner.

We are also going to Rusalka at State Opera and then to Zahrada v Opere (but end of May!)

One question: how formal do people dress up for the opera in Prague? I was not planning on shorts or jeans but the opera website recommends suits and evening dresses which is most definitely NOT what i was planning to put into my suitcase!

We went to the opera twice while in Prague a few years ago. As anywhere, some were dressed more than others. My husband and son wore 'dress' khaki's, shirt, tie and blazer. My daughter and I wore black dress pants, and evening (but not cocktail dressy) sweater sets/pashmina scarf type of thing. There were women in fancy long evening gowns, but we felt appropriately dressed and I don't think people expect 'tourists' to necessarily pack all their evening clothes - there were also plenty of those who waited for last minute seats/standing room who were wearing what I would call very casual day clothes.

I find on most of my trips to Europe, for special dinner evening/opera/ballet - if I have my dress black pants or skirt with a few nice tops (dressier sweater sets, top with some fancier trim, and a few pretty scarveds or a pashmina wrap I have never felt uncomfortable.