Bits are falling off Beethoven’s opera house

Bits are falling off Beethoven’s opera house

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norman lebrecht

February 17, 2020

The opera in Bonn is in a bad way.

The facade is crumbling and concrete chunks are falling off. A screen has been erected to protect passerby.

The city of Bonn has been talking for years about renewing or replacing the opera house.

Still talking.

What time’s the next Beethoven anniversary?*

photo:  Benjamin Westhoff/General Anzeiger

*2027

Comments

  • Very strange, we know the passion of the germans for opera and classic. Many times I was very impressed by the concerts hall outside of the 3 bigest cities (ex : Dortmund and Dresde) and Bonn is not in the poorest lander of Germany…

  • Mustafa Kandan says:

    Why bother with the provincial opera house of Bonn when the city of Cologne with its major opera house is next door?

  • Gustavo says:

    Rattle and LSO should raise funds when they’re there.

    • They have to. The Barbican (very ugly) don’t have the old charme of the Concertgebouw and Musikverein. Don’t have the modern charme of Leipzig concert hall and the Berliner Philarmonie. And don’t have the qualities of the Paris Philarmonie.

      • Gustavo says:

        But possibly still better acoustics than Elbphilharmonie – depending on where you sit or if you happen to be Riccardo Muti or Jonas Kaufmann.

        • Paris Philarmonie is certainly less beautiful from the outside but inisde it must be a good model for London and it’s a very big sucess. Anyway London has to earise the Barbican. Munich was in the same situation and is building something new. Rome did that 20 years ago. Apart in Leipzig the 80’s were a very bad period for the concert halls…

  • opera tourist says:

    Isn’t Bonn’s Concert Hall also shut for ‘renovation’ even tho’ it is Beethoven year? Granted, the theatre is NOT the most attractive building inside or out!

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    They have until 16 or 17 December.

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