Secrets of Choosing the Best Seats from an Opera House Seating Chart

There are probably as many opinions on which is the best seat in the house, as there are seats in an opera house seating chart

If you are a regular opera audience member, then you have probably already figured out the opera house seating chart. You have your favourite place to sit. You have chosen this seat over time. You have tried various price options and seating possibilities. And, you have settled on your preferred seat.

Perhaps, you are a regular opera enthusiast. And, you are planning to attend an opera performance in an opera house you have never been to. What are the points you need to consider?

Perhaps, you are a newbie to the world of opera. Would you like some insight on where to start trying out the various seating options?

How to Choose the Best Seat from an Opera House Seating Chart

Opera House Seating Chart
Opera House Seating Chart

When choosing a seat from an opera house seating chart you first need to decide – Do you want:

If you would like a personal opinion from opera conductor Myron Yusypovych on the best seats at the Lviv Opera House, click here.

Click below to listen to opera music online from the best seat in the house at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig, Germany.

the Entr’acte (Introduction) to Act 4, from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. Performed by the K&K Philharmoniker and the K&K Opernchor. Conducted by Myron Yusypovych.

Everyone Sees You – Choosing Seats From the Opera House Seating Plan

Opera House Seating Chart Best Photo Op.
Opera House Seating Chart Best Photo Op.

When the major European opera houses were first built, the seating chart was planned so that people could see who was at the evening event. Going to the opera was a social affair where you gossiped about your neighbours, dressed to impressed and conducted illicit affairs.

The most prestigious seat was an opera box. It was a separate room with 3 walls and an opening toward the stage. Usually, it was built with a separate entrance door. Quite often, the opera box was situated in such a way that people in the regular seats (or “stalls” as they are sometimes called) could see the occupants of the boxes.

Some opera boxes even had curtains that could be drawn by the people sitting in the box. One can only guess what went on behind these curtains!

The most impressive box at a house of opera was usually the “Royal Box” or the “Imperial Box”. Traditionally, many of the European Opera Houses were financed by the royal family. And so, the most regal and centrally located box was reserved for the local royals.

Well known opera houses that have opera boxes that let you be seen are:

The tradition of going to events in order to be seen is alive and well today. But, today it’s not the opera that has become the main venue. Sports facilities are putting in boxes for people who attend because they want to be seen. The boxes are placed so that TV and sport fan cameras can photograph those, who are seated or standing in the box.

The people who buy tickets for these boxes are often there for the status that such a seat gives them. They come to maintain their social and business contacts. They want a good photo opportunity. Audiences in boxes are less concerned with seeing the event they are attending.

So, if you are interested in having everyone see you while you attend an opera performance, check out the seating plan and locate the opera house boxes. They will probably give you a limited or one-sided view of the stage. But, you will be able to see

  • the beautiful theatre
  • all the people that are attending

and they will be able to see you.

You See Everything on Stage – Choosing Seats From the Opera House Seating Map

Opera House Seating Chart Best View
Opera House Seating Chart Best View

Many people, who attend an opera performance today look at a seating plan and think: I want to see everything on stage. Where is the best seat to see the stage?

Opera houses, that were built in the second half of the 20th century, were designed so their seating plan allowed the audience to see the stage. Well known examples of such opera houses are:

  • Sydney Opera House
  • Toronto Opera House.

If you check out the website of the some of the more recently built opera houses, you will notice that in their seating plan section, they provide photographs. These photos show the view you will get, if you purchase a seat in a particular section.

The best views of the stage are usually on the main floor, in the central areas, of the opera house. Many people also like the central seats in the first balcony.

Opera productions today tend to be grand affairs:

  • colourful costumes
  • elaborate sets and props
  • spectacular crowd scenes
  • laser lights
  • film projections.

Many of these operatic elements draw in a crowd that is used to the visual world we live in.

If you want to purchase seats that give you a good view of the stage, you should be aware that most opera houses are charging prime rates for these seats. Many people today are really interested in seeing the stage. So, these tend to be the most expensive seats.

You Hear Every Note – Choosing Seats From the Opera House Seating Chart

Opera House Seating Chart Best Sound
Opera House Seating Chart Best Sound

Are you consulting the seating chart and plan and choosing where to sit at a European opera house built in the 19th-20th centuries? Are you an opera enthusiast and would like to have a really good sound experience? If so, it is a good idea to remember the ancient Greek and Roman theatres.

Ancient Greek theatres were built against a hilltop in the form of a half-saucer. The Romans built similar amphitheatres, although many of them were free standing. To this day, these theatres are known for their incredible acoustics. If you visit one of these ruins, you can stand at the top of the seating gallery and hear what someone is saying on the lower floor.

Opera house architects have studied the acoustics at these ancient Greek and Roman theatres. The inside layout of many opera houses has been partially styled on the amphitheatres of the Greeks and Romans.

Quite often, the best seats to hear the intricate and fine notes produced by the opera singers and orchestra are not at the front or the centre of the theatre. Interestingly, the seats where you get a full sound are often the cheapest seats in the house. They are in the top gallery, near the roof of the opera theatre.

If you are an opera music connoisseur, then you might want to consult the seating chart and choose seats in the top gallery of the opera house theatre.

Where Are the Best Seats? – Choosing From the Lviv Opera House Seating Chart

Lviv Opera House Seating
Lviv Opera House Seating

If you are planning to attend an opera performance at the Lviv Opera House Theatre, you first need to decide – Do you want

  • to be seen?
  • to see?
  • to listen?

If your main desire is to be seen by the audience at the theatre and to have a wonderful view of the galleries and art in the theatre, then you should consult the opera house seating plan and choose one of the opera boxes in the 1st balcony. The closer you are to the stage, the better will be your view of the theatre and the better will the audience see you.

If you really want to see the costumes, set design and singers on stage, then you should consult the opera house seating chart and choose seats in the 7th to 10th row in the parterre or in the centre area of the 1st balcony.

If what you really want is to enjoy the music, then you should consult the opera house seating guide and choose seats in the 3rd balcony. Unfortunately, its quite the climb and there are no elevators. But, way up near the roof you will get the best sound experience.

Consulting an opera house seating chart is a tricky business. Ultimately, the best seat in the house depends on the kind of experience you want to have.


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