Thursday, July 27, 2017

HIGH NOTES IN BUENOS AIRES

I bet by now you can't tell I enjoyed this trip? We are approaching the end of the posts, otherwise we could be here all month!!! As you can imagine there is much culture in Buenos Aires.Buenos Aires is a cultural and economic melting pot where influences from all over the world can be seen, which surprised me. For those that are interested there is an absolute wealth of activities and areas to take in and I would recommend in the region of a week or two to see them properly. But when it comes to art and dance there is no shortage of either. We did see some tango's in the streets, not to mention in private! While we didn't see a opera or ballet, I forgot my gloves and opera glasses,  we did go see the main opera house, Teatro Colón . Saying it was spectacular was a understatement.
Our tour guide told us that the main opera house in Buenos Aires, is ranked the third best opera house in the world by National Geographic, and is acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world. The auditorium is horseshoe-shaped, has 2,487 seats, standing room for 1,000 and a stage. The low-rise building has 6 floors above ground and 3 below ground, 7 elevators with a façade of applied masonry. It has a large central chandelier with 700 light bulbs. The original architect was the Italian Francesco Tamburini; after his death it was completed by the Belgian architect Julio Dormal. The original auditorium "had eight boxes with metal grilles and a separate entrance, so that those in mourning could still attend performances, but remain dignifiedly sequestered from public view". Who knew? But the places was just massive.
The National Museum of Decorative Arts is an art museum in Recoleta, Buenos Aires.
The museum has its origins in a marriage in 1897 between two prominent, wealthy members of turn-of-the-century Argentine high society. The couple commissioned French architect René Sergent in 1911 to design a mansion for Errazúriz's future retirement from the diplomatic corps, in which he had been Ambassador to France for a number of years. The ornate Neoclassical structure inspired the Bosch family to commission a similar palace nearby which today is the United States Ambassador's residence.Completed in 1916, the couple devoted the following two years to decorating the palace, purchasing a large volume of antiques and other objets d'art.

When Mrs. Errazúriz died in 1935, however, the widower bequeathed the mansion to the Argentine government, on his son's and daughter's advice. The National Museum of Decorative Arts was established in 1937.The museum maintains twelve exhibit halls and nine permanent collections containing over 4,000 objects including: painting, room décor, Asian art and sculpture. Truly stunning.
I adored this picture...of all things. I tried to swipe it, but was frisked. Again. 
Another museum we visited was the National Museum of Fine Arts. If you ever get to Buenos Aires and have the time, it is rather interesting to catch if you can.

The ground floor of the museum holds 24 exhibit halls housing a fine international collection of paintings from the Middle Ages up to the 20th century, together with the museum's art history library. The first floor's 8 exhibit halls contain a collection of paintings by some of the most important 20th-century Argentine painters. The second floor's two halls, completed in 1984, hold an exhibition of photographs and two sculpture terraces. There is also many well know painting from French, Mexican, Dutch, Flemish, and Scottish painters.

28 comments:

  1. WOW!! Amazing tour, once again :-)

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  2. As you can imagine, the opera house was one of my favorite highlights of South America. What a beautiful post...I was stunned by the lady from the previous post...blows my mind.

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    1. I have to check this out. People usually don't sass the Mistress......

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    2. Not to worry dear....I went Julia Sugarbaker on her. Not surprised you liked the opera house though. It was amazing.

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  3. You've riled the architect-whore in me. I just love the buildings, both inside and out, with all that Old World charm.
    And the art galleries and museums; I could get lost there ....

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  4. Jeff in Chicago7/27/2017

    We visit Buenos Aires every November (the first weekend is the Pride parade, and once the floats pass by your location, everyone joins the parade). BA has over 1,000 museums, including a Museum of Toilets (in the Water Dept Bldg, third floor, Recoleta). In addition to various types of prison toilets, apparently there were once corner urinals. San Telmo has a 1536 building with a river flowing under it (see: www.elzanjon.com.ar/)

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    1. Welcome Jeff and thanks for stopping in! Are you referring to Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, or as nicknamed Palace of Flowing waters? We were told it had a museum for toilets in the building, but didn't go in as we had other things to see first. But...for a public works building it was most magnificent. I included that in another post. I think my bead is still in Buenos Aires.

      Philadelphia gay Pride parade does a similar thing where we all watch then join in after it passes, then on to the festival grounds. Good fun.

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  5. These post have been stunning. Friends of mine have been in many theaters and venues throughout the world. Teatro Colon is one of the most impressive in the WORLD they said.

    And if I ever make it there I'm so consulting back to your blog.

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  6. When I saw high notes, I thought this is where we would get the details of Adrino hitting the right spot!

    Jokes aside.....stunning architecture yet again. That painting is HUGE at the one museum.

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    1. We need to get to the bottom of this!!!! No pun intended.

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    2. AdrinO-M-G was so kind and gentle, I tell you the things that boys does, it's like magic, I tell you, oh, like the one day when he, oh... I'm much to shy to say.

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  7. now THAT is a theater! reminds me somewhat of the academy of music and our old movie palaces back in the 50s-60s.

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    1. I have YET to be to the Academy of Music.

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  8. I love that picture from the Museum of Arts of the woman. She sort of reminds me of the legendary queen Barbette.

    Great pictures.

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  9. All these are great highlights of Buenos Aires. I love your tour through your eys.

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    1. Are you ready for me to come back yet?

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  10. Truly a life-altering experience and trip...I so need to get out of the borders and see more of the world. I'm am enjoying the posts.

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  11. These post have been great. I have always just assumed the city was a rough, dust bowl of a town, only by my lack of not knowing about the city. I had no idea it was so beautiful. Just blows my mind. I have heard good things from fellow musicians about the opera house though.

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  12. What a wonderful place to visit judging by those photos. Thanks for sharing and greetings!

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  13. The museum of decorative arts is stunning. Looks like a grand mansion that it once was. I also enjoyed the opening photo. The town just doesn't seem to stop.

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  14. WOW!! That is one helluva opera house. If it's ranked third, I can't imagine what the other two are like.
    All of your photos are fantastic - - great post!!!

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    1. Unfortunately there was no show or performances that day. But I understand the sound is phenomenal there. I have the feeling you would love this city Jon.

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  15. Everything was so ornate then, wasn't it?

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  16. I agree...this must have been the ornate day of touring. I would love all three places....but to see a show in the opera house would be a dream. I seem to remember a performance of Luciano Pavarotti from this opera house?

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  17. I am in love with museums, so these would be some must see's. I would have never thought to go to Buenos Aires, but it is on my radar now.

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  18. Now you are just making me more and more hungry to go. Every post sells me more. Gorgeous pictures.

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!