Decked out in Beaux-Arts splendor, the sumptuous Municipal Theater is Brazil's most important venue for classical music, ballet and opera; housing one of the largest stages in Latin America. The theater, opened in 1909, is a scaled-down replica of the magnificent Paris opera house. Taking their cultural queues from Paris, Rio officials chose July 14 for the opening ceremony in honor of the national day of France. The Municipal is a place drink in the lavish attention to interior space that marked the turn-of-the-century--French stained glass, decorative details in onyx and bronze. An astounding 1,500 tons of mostly imported marble graces the theater: notice the contrast between the delicate rose-hued Italian and striking green Algerian marble. The theater's chandelier boasts 1,000 pounds of crystal beads. The ceiling surrounding it is painted in a lovely, pastel, arts & crafts style depicting the dance of the hours.
The theater's schedule includes 10 months of performances from March to December, ending with the Nutcracker. Note: For a musical performance, the best seats in the house are in the upper sections; however, for ballet or opera you'll want to sit lower and closer to the stage so that your view won't be obstructed.
Writer's chuckle: Four writers are depcited in bas relief in the Foyer--Goethe, Shakespeare, Moliere, and the Brazilian writer Penna. The big four, apparently. Sorry Dante.
The performance I saw, and a recommended venue for those with limited time and resources, is an afternoon opera recital featuring selected pieces from the season's opera schedule. The audience is seated in front of the main stairway, which serves as a stage. The focal point of the stairway is a large painting representing a feminine figure of truth--a bold (and defensive?) statement for a lavish opera house putting on make-believe shows in a Catholic country.