OPERA'S JOURNEY TO OMAN

Opera, 400 Years of Passion is an exciting new exhibition being housed at the Royal Opera: House of Musical Arts.

Organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London. Oman is the exhibition's first touring destination outside London and it is the first exhibition to be held at the new House of Musical Arts. The exhibition first opened at the V&A in September 2017 to critical acclaim. It was created as a landmark exhibition relating the vivid story of opera from its origins in Late Renaissance Italy to the present day.

The exhibition tells the story of opera's journey to Oman. Four hundred years ago in the early seventeenth century, opera was taking root in Venice, Italy. By the end of the century, it had spread to Italy's finest cities; and in the eighteenth century, opera became Western Europe's most widespread and popular musical art and would soon migrate to the Americas.  Opera came to Oman in 2011 when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said established the Royal Opera House Muscat, honouring the distinguished history of world opera while building upon age-old traditions in the music of Oman.

The exhibition focuses on six cities: Venice, London, Vienna, Milan, Paris and Muscat. A multi-sensory journey unfolds, taking us through five European cities in the historic era of opera premieres and arriving in Muscat in the twenty-first century. The exhibition reveals how opera brings together multiple art forms to create a new work of art, and shows how social, artistic and economic factors interact with great moments in the history of opera to tell a story over hundreds of years. 

More than 160 objects have come to Oman from across Europe to celebrate the story of opera, many of the pieces leaving Europe for the first time in hundreds of years. The exhibits include a comprehensive array of beautiful works: oil paintings, marble busts, costumes, textiles, glass and chinaware. 

The exhibition is enriched by a world-class sound experience provided by Sennheiser. The company's dynamic GuidePORT headphone technology changes as we explore the cities and objects, creating an evocative and fully immersive sound experience. 

The exhibition opens on the 17^th January and will run until the 14^th March, and will be open daily

Sunday – Saturday form 10am – 8pm

Fridays: 3pm – 8pm

excluding public holidays.

Access is via the stunning new footbridge from the Opera Galleria.

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​School Tours

Must be booked in advance and are free of charge. For booking and enquiries, please contact: 2440 3333 / tours@rohmuscat.org.om

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