Royal Opera House, London

The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London in 2011, seen from the upper balcony: red-and-cream tiers lit by rows of glass lamps, a gilded proscenium and a shallow dome painted in pale blue and gold. Up here the stage looks a long way down, but the sound carries beautifully. A theater has stood on this site since 1732, and Handel's Ariodante and Alcina had their premieres in the first one. Fire destroyed it twice; the present house, designed by Edward Middleton Barry, opened on May 15, 1858, with Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. It is home to both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet.