The Cathedral is just a short walk from our hotel so we booked out and trundled the cases off to the church. This cathedral was the third to be built in Oslo and was opened in 1697. It is of Dutch cruciform style. The original interior fittings are baroque, see the pulpit, organ and royal box. The altar is a splendid affair complete with a 3D relief sculpture of the Last Supper which features a whole roast pig in the middle of the table. The painted ceiling was done quite recently between 1938 and 1950. Although the traditional egg tempura paint will stand the test of time the foundation layer is failing, so restoration is under way.
The stained glass windows are also early 20th century. You remember Gustav Vigeland? Well his brother Emanuel was responsible for these. Mr and Mrs Vigeland must have been very proud. Although Protestant, the place is sort of liberal and democratic in a Norweign kind of way. There are regular Catholic services and everyone is made welcome to do more or less as they please. If you just want a bit of quiet time or light a candle for peace, then this is your place.
We went off to the station to deposit the cases and buy our tickets before the 24 hour delayed Opera House tour. Apart from another external of the House, there will be no more pictures as photography is not allowed past the foyer.
Now we have done the tours of the Sydney Opera House and the Vienna State Opera but this was entirely different. It was more of in depth insight into how an opera/ballet factory works. The planning, design, construction process starts at least 3 years before the show opens. In home productions everything is made from scratch. The costumes start as white material which is dyed and printed then made up with wide hems for easy adjustment. This means everything can be reproduced and repaired. The procedure applies to everything, scenery, props, shoes, hats, wigs, prosthetic make up, the list seems endless. The complex has 1,100 rooms to give some idea of the scale of the place. There's also rehearsal rooms, dance studios, medical areas, fitness suites, changing rooms, music rooms. Then there is an administration centre, archiving department, financial centre, advertising and marketing, front of house, catering and all that before you consider the technical side. Lights, sound, acoustic balance, on stage logistics, electricians, computer control, the list goes on and on. Our tour guide was a semi-retired ballet dancer and our party consisted of three people. It was a real eye-opener and a great insight into the world of ballet and opera.
To conclude, here is a country to live in when you have won the lottery but do visit, it will make you wonder why you live in the UK (if indeed you do).
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