No blog report from me would be complete without a discussion of the opera in that country.
The stately Teatro Nacional, flanking one side of San Jose's Plaza de la Cultura, is home to Costa Rica's classical music scene (such as it is). it was built at the end of the 19th century, when Costa Rica was riding high on coffee exports.
The interior is just as beautiful as the outside (pictures to follow). Even orchestra-level tickets are fairly cheap (about $20 at most) and a charmingly French cafe offers coffee and pastries to concert-goes and the simply hungry alike.
Alas, like so many cultural institutions, the Teatro Nacional is neglected by its public, as I saw when I attended an aria recital last Sunday. The quality was generally good (the women outdid the men) but the galleries were perhaps half full, while the orchestra level was almost completely empty. True, this was a concert on Sunday night in summer, but I can't help feel compasison for any artist who has to perform in front of what appears to be an empty theater.
The stately Teatro Nacional, flanking one side of San Jose's Plaza de la Cultura, is home to Costa Rica's classical music scene (such as it is). it was built at the end of the 19th century, when Costa Rica was riding high on coffee exports.
The interior is just as beautiful as the outside (pictures to follow). Even orchestra-level tickets are fairly cheap (about $20 at most) and a charmingly French cafe offers coffee and pastries to concert-goes and the simply hungry alike.
Alas, like so many cultural institutions, the Teatro Nacional is neglected by its public, as I saw when I attended an aria recital last Sunday. The quality was generally good (the women outdid the men) but the galleries were perhaps half full, while the orchestra level was almost completely empty. True, this was a concert on Sunday night in summer, but I can't help feel compasison for any artist who has to perform in front of what appears to be an empty theater.
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