More major theaters are streaming classic performances for free online.

Along with the Bolshoi Theatre (Russia), the Paris Opera House (France), and many other renowned theaters worldwide such as the Berlin Philharmonic (Germany) and the Metropolitan Opera (New York, USA), the Paris Opera House is also allowing audiences to watch performances online for free while forced to close during lockdowns. In total, by May 3rd, 2020, eight operas and ballets will be streamed online by the Paris Opera House so that classical music lovers can watch them at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The works featured here are all part of the Paris Opera's "golden collection," boasting outstanding composers and top-tier performers. The most polished versions ever recorded are now being livestreamed, including many classics, from Don Giovanni to Swan Lake and The Hoffmann Tales. To watch these performances, viewers simply need to visit the official website.Paris Opera HouseThis program also has no "geographical restrictions," meaning internet users can access it from anywhere and thus choose a viewing time that suits them.

The program details are as follows:

After the TheaterMetropolitan Opera New YorkLeading the way in streaming classical works, most other major theaters such asBerlin State OperaandRoyal Opera House and National Theater (London)They all responded to this initiative, uploading selected programs online in a staggered manner to avoid overlapping or duplication of content. According to Peter Gelb, director of the Munich Opera House (Bayerische StaatsoperThe major theaters all want to send words of comfort to music lovers in particular, and to encourage the public in general, during this extremely difficult time. (Capital Theater)Vienna State OperaThis also follows with a special program dedicated to Wagner's epic play.

Similarly, the concert library ofBergen Philharmonic Orchestra,Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center,Melbourne Symphony Orchestra,Royal Stockholm Philharmonic OrchestraandDetroit Symphony OrchestraIt is also available free of charge to audiences. At the same time, the Philharmonie de Paris has expanded the application.Philharmonie Live"They offer free access to all performances and invite the public to take a virtual tour of the Music Museum. Perhaps the most generous is the Symphony Orchestra."Berlin PhilharmonicThe world's leading classical music label has offered all those wishing to listen to classical music a month of free access to its entire vast library of outstanding concerts from 1966 to the present.

Thanks to these initiatives, music lovers can still enjoy Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and No. 7 at home, commemorating the 250th anniversary of his birth, on the Mezzo television channel. Most well-known artists maintain contact with their fans, meeting them every evening on their personal Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts and giving them short performances featuring excerpts from famous works.

For his part, in the program "Music Comes to You" (even if you don't have the opportunity to hear music), violinist Renaud Capuçon uploaded videos in which he played a Dvorak melody live using the NomadPlay app, which allows a solo musician to perform with an orchestra. As one of the leading artists participating in the Sofa Festival to raise funds for public hospitals, Renaud Capuçon also took this opportunity to call on the audience to show solidarity with French healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

According to conductor François Xavier Roth of the Versailles Symphony Orchestra, musicians often lack stable incomes, mostly working independently or on short-term contracts, and now, with the pandemic, their professional future is even more uncertain. Nevertheless, they remain optimistic, mobilizing the community to fight the pandemic, reminding the public to protect themselves and others by staying home and enjoying art. Some artists even happily expressed their hope that streaming artistic performances would help bridge the social divide between audiences, bringing works previously considered "academic" to a wider audience.

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