Hungarian State Opera House - Magyar Állami Operaház

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Budapest Opera House will enchant you not only with its ballet and opera performances but with its fine Neo-Renaissance architecture.

The building fits well in with the similarly elegant neighbourhood on Andrássy Avenue. Hungary's greatest Historicist architect, Miklós Ybl designed the building for the Millennium celebrations in 19th century.

Construction started in 1875 and the building was finished in 1884. Ybl oversaw the work himself with painstaking care.

The building cost a lot of money, the auditorium was decorated with more than 7kgs of gold. Hundreds of statues and paintings decorate the Budapest Opera House both inside and out.

Emperor Franz Joseph financed the construction, though he received little recognition for his generosity. He in turn didn't appreciated the architect's work on the opening ceremony: "It's very beautiful. I like it very much." was all he said about Europe's most magnificent and modern opera house.

Exterior

The auditorium holds 1261 seats. It is horseshoe shaped and - according to measurements done in the 1970s by a group of international engineers - has the 3rd best acoustics in Europe after the Scala in Milan and the Paris Opera House.

Statues of the world greatest composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi adorn the main façade. Seated statues of Franz Liszt and Ferenc Erkel, the first director of the Opera House stand on the sides of the main entrance.

Wrought iron lamps decorate the main entrance. Two imposing stone sphinxes guard the main entrance.

On the right you'll find the entrance for artists, while on the left there's a carriage-way and entrance to the Royal Staircase.

In the niches at the first floor level statues of the four muses of opera reside.

Interior

The interior boasts a impressive foyer with a double grand staircase and grey marble columns supporting the arches. Works of famous Hungarian artists decorate the interior of Budapest Opera House.

Beautiful frescoes and statues represent mythological motifs. Mosaic tiles cover the floor that resemble on ancient Greek mosaics. The three-storey high, horseshoe-shaped main auditorium can seat nearly 1,300 people.

On the ceiling you can see Karoly Lotz's breathtaking frescoes depicting Olympus and the Greek gods. A huge gilded chandelier hangs down from the ceiling. Every level has a different layout and decoration. Gold and red dominate the lavish auditorium that reflects elegance.

On the ceiling you can admire main events from Dionysos life. Landscape paintings by Árpád Feszty decorate the side-walls.

During the reconstruction between 1980-84 the Opera House regained its original splendour to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its opening.

The Budapest Opera house soon became one of the leading cultural venues of Europe. Ferenc Erkel composer of Hungary's national anthem and founder of the Hungarian opera was the first director. Gustav Mahler also directed the opera house and personally directed two Puccini operas here. Other famous conductors include Otto Klemperer or Sergio Failloni.

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