travelswithalice

January 03, 2020

 

Manaüs: Paris of the Jungle


In the heart of the Amazon rainforest is a world famous opera house.


The Teatro Amazonas was built in the 19th century in Manaüs, once known as the “Paris of the Tropics”, a city carved out of dense jungle by the rubber barons wealthy beyond belief in an age when, it is said, “no extravagance was spared, no matter how absurd.”





The opening scene of Ken Howard’s documentary film “Pavarotti” shows a home video of the late great tenor on holiday in Brazil, arriving by boat to visit this very opera house. Disappointed to find it closed, he lets it be known that he is Luciano Pavarotti, whereupon the theatre is opened and he sings onstage in murky darkness. I wondered why the video was so poorly lit.


I now realise that it’s because no flash photography can be allowed inside the exquisite 123 year-old theatre with its frescoed ceilings, Carrara marble columns, parquet floors like La Scala’s, Murano glass chandeliers, and a Tiffany stage curtain.








Apart from countless other extravagances, the building is more notable for clever engineering designed to work around the hot and humid climate of the Amazon rainforest. 

The building was oriented to face east from which cool trade winds stream in from the Atlantic Ocean. The carriageway was paved with specially made rubber cobblestones designed to muffle the traffic noise from horses and carriages. This allowed the doors and windows of the theatre to be left open, letting the cool winds in during performances. In the stalls, further cooling was provided by floor vents located under the theatre seats.

The Tiffany stage curtain needed the addition of an elaborate dome to enable it to rise without being rolled or folded.





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posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones  # January 03, 2020




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