Der Norske Opera & Ballett: Operahuset

Architecture is music in space, as it were a frozen music.

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling

After taking the train from Washington DC to Oslo, Norway (Yes, there was a flight or two involved, but those were spent in a sort of melatonin-induced haze, and one was on a Boeing 757 and should therefore be quickly forgotten), I checked into my hostel and headed directly for the new gem in Oslo’s woody crown, Den Norske Opera, or the Norwegian Opera House.

The building was completed in 2008 and replaces a number of unsatisfactory and less comfortable acoustical spaces across the city. Does this seem familiar? Why yes, of course it does. Oslo, like Sitka, had been trying to fund such a space since an Oslo newspaper reported that one was to be built nearly 127 years ago.

Granted, at 4.1 billion Krone, Norway may have invested just a little more money in the exterior. The massive marble roof/patio serves as an open community park, and as overflow seating via enormous screen-laden barges. The night I was here, an offshore barge held a full floating stage for an outdoor concert.

It’s said also that the exterior space was designed to encourage skateboarding, with the most accessible angles located where such activity would be the least likely to create auditory disruptions. Now, I’m no expert, but it seems to me that angles of the building, wisely, appear in fact designed to encourage skateboarding…DIRECTLY INTO THE NORTH SEA. But that’s just me.

Inside, the building houses three auditoriums, including the main stage of 1369 seats, a smaller stage of 400 seats, and a “black box” style theater with 200 seats. The main stage is comprised of a series of articulated lifts which allow an almost infinite variety of staging options.
There is a main lobby, designed to evoke ice and cleft wood. The facility itself holds 1100 separate rooms, including rehearsal facilities for music and dance, costume and design rooms, storage rooms and offices.





This is a great space, and it has created for Norway an iconic building that draws visitors and concert-goers for its own sake to discover the country’s superlative performing arts offerings. I can’t help but hold some affinity for the building, as it holds so many similarities to the space over which I have been given the privilege and honor of managing. But here are some quick factoids, just for fun.

Both the Opera House and the Sitka Auditorium were completed in 2008, and designed by world-class architects.

The Opera House seats nearly 2000 in three venues. The Sitka Auditorium seats 619 in one venue. Now, if you break it down by population, the Opera House seats less than 0.14 percent of the population, while the Sitka Auditorium seats nearly 7 percent of that city’s population. Simlarly, while the Opera House seems littered with its 21 pianos (mostly 7’ Bosendorfers), Sitka is home to a higher per capita of 9’ Steinway ‘D’s than anywhere outside of the Julliard School.

Both spaces are posted with annoying and histrionic reminders by the management.

Adam, there is an unburned palette here at the Opera House. I assume you’ll be right over.

Though it is filled with ample office space, none of the offices here are home to the award winning Sitka Fine Arts Camp.

Finally, and some of you may remember that it was shortly after my trip there that evidence of nuclear material at the Holy City of Qom surfaced from mysterious *ahem* sources. With this in mind, the following images may disturb you, but I think it important to put them on the internet for the world to see as quickly as possible. Yes, in the guise of a prop-building shop, there is evidence here that the Norwegians are again up to no good.


You’re asking yourselves, “Is that, in fact, the prototype for a giant robotic pig that is surely the first in an army of giant robotic pigs set to be unleashed on the world?” Well, of course it is. Beware, folks. Any strange giant pigs arriving in your towns are not to be befriended or trusted. Sure, it’s easy to say, “But it’s just a pig. Pigs are cute, and they taste good, and this one’s SO big, and he seems lonely.” Don’t be fooled. Call the UN! Call Hans Blix! Start drawing up some sanctions.

Next time: So What's to do in Oslo? or How I Got Me One of them Nobel Prizes.