Opera buffs are dancing the happy dance with the unveiling of an innovative new streaming opera website called The Opera Platform, which intends to promote the enjoyment of opera worldwide.
The three-year, $5.4 million dollar (CAD) project is funded in part by the European Union’s cultural budget.
According to the press release, “The Opera Platform is an online platform for the promotion and enjoyment of opera. It is designed to appeal equally to those who already love opera and to those who may be tempted to try it for the first time.”
Users will be able to access live transmissions from over 15 participating European opera companies over 12 countries.
The first simulcast was this past Friday with Verdi’s La Traviata from Madrid’s Teatro Real. It is available to free streaming now through November 8, 2015. Subtitles are available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish or Spanish.
The service plans to feature one new opera every month, and will make them each available for streaming for a period of six months. Upcoming operas include: Covent Garden’s production of Krol Roger (King Roger) by Karol Szymanowski, Vienna Staatsoper’s Gotterdammerung by Richard Wagner, Finnish National Opera’s Kullervo by Jean Sibelius, Latvian National Opera’s Valentina by Arturs Maskats and Aix-en-Provence festival in France’s The Abduction from the Seraglio by Mozart.
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