La Scala, Milan, Italy
As a symbol of a nation’s wealth and power, opera houses are an amazing way to experience a country’s rich culture. Photographer David Leventi takes us inside some of the most ornate ones and even asks us to stand center stage. Taking some photos from the vantage point of the performer, we get to experience an incredible view and one that we’d probably never experience otherwise.
“The photograph freeze for eternity the instant before a performance takes place. Viewers are invited to pour over details, to feel the potential energy in a space where it is all just about to happen. The actual performance is just a part of the overall awe-inspiring experience of going to the theater – I believe that the space itself can be the event.”
Photographed with a large-format view camera, we get an architecturally meticulous view of these opera houses. You can see the incredible detail in everything from the rows of velvet seats to the chandeliers and gilt decorations.
Opra de Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, Italy
Marlinksy Theatre, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Palais Garnier, Paris, France
Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Germany
Mikhailovsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Teatro Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, Romania
Metropolitan Opera House, New York, New York
Oslo Opera House, Oslo, Norway
Drottningholm Palace Theatre, Stockholm, Sweden
See the series at the Arthur Roger Gallery from August 7 through September 11th, 2010.
David Leventi
via PDN