Teatro das Amazonas

On Sunday January 17^th, in the year of our Lord 2010, Sean and I were able to attend a free symphonic concert in the nearby theater. With marble from Italy, furnishing from Paris, and roofing tiles from France, the Amazon Theater is literally a little part of Europe in the middle of the rainforest. As we walked towards the renaissance style building I felt like I had been transplanted into Western Europe until I saw the brightly colored green and yellow mosaic surrounding the dome on the top that could only be Brazilian. Even though the concert was free we were still greeted by a full staff, answering questions and helping music lovers to their seats. The inside of the theater continued with the same renaissance era décor. Very ornate woodwork, crown molding, and immodest murals decorated the entire interior. We were a little bit early but most the theater was already full. Inside the main theater room was breathtaking. An enormous chandelier lit the names of every famous composer I have ever heard of and many with whom I am not familiar. We sat on the fifth story balcony in the first row so we could rest our heads on the burgundy velvet-padded banister.

As the orchestra began taking their seats I noticed the vast differences in age, appearance, and race. The audience, although not dressed as well as the orchestra, seemed to be for the most part middle to upper class, and very diverse as well. The symphony played flawlessly. I was amazed at the musician’s talent as they were able to play the lively, upbeat music in unison. I did not recognize any of the music, but it seemed familiar and it was easy to enjoy. We had to leave early in order to have sufficient time to prepare for our lesson the next day, but it was an enjoyable experience and I look forward to going back.