Immerse yourself in the world of opera with our curated list of the 9 best Christmas gifts for opera lovers. Discover the perfect gifts to enchant and delight the opera enthusiast in your life!
1. Theatre binoculars
Theatre binoculars, designed for live performances, offer clear, close-up views with their compact size, moderate magnification, and wide field of view. Coated lenses reduce glare, while adjustable focus ensures sharp images. A nifty accessory for an opera performance enhancing the theatre experience. You can buy them here.
2. Book: A History of Opera: The Last Four Hundred Years
This book is a really comprehensive journey through the evolution of opera over centuries. This book has consistently received great reviews across the board. Delving into its musical, cultural, and social facets, this insightful book offers a captivating exploration of the art form’s transformation, highlighting key developments and notable composers, making it a must-read and ideal Christmas gift for any opera enthusiast. You can buy it here at Waterstones.
3. Become a BIF Friend – 1 year membership package
Treat a friend or a loved with a 1 year BIF Friend membership, with prices starting from just £33. They can be part of the festival they love all year-round and the membership unlocks a whole host of benefits including priority booking for all festival events, exclusive festival news and announcements and special friends events throughout the year: meals, dinners, recitals and more. Click here to view the various BIF Friend packages.
4. The Royal Opera House 2024 calendar
Keep your schedule in order with the official Royal Opera House 2024 calendar. Whether you’re a newcomer to opera or a lifelong enthusiast, this calendar is a must-have. It showcases stunning images from the Royal Opera House stage, featuring various opera productions and talented performers, offering a fresh and captivating image each month.
5. Portable speaker
Listen to music on the go – in the garden, in the kitchen or take it away on holiday. Enjoy your favourite opera or classical music where ever you are. Bose make a great portable speaker that’s compact and easy to pop into a bag or case and the sound quality is really good too. Currently on offer on the Bose website here.
6. Buy gift vouchers for Buxton International Festival
Buxton International Festival 2024 promises to bring us another spectacular programme of opera with five new productions including Peter Brook’s adaptation of Bizet’s La Tragedie de Carmen, Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disingano and Verdi’s Ernani. BIF gift vouchers are sold in amounts from £10 – £100. Click here to find out more.
7. CD – Verdi at The Met: Legendary Performances from The Metropolitan Opera
Verdi at the Met preserves the intensity of Verdi’s masterpieces performed live at The Metropolitan Opera in New York. These ten recordings on CD span four decades, commencing with La Traviata in 1935 and showcasing celebrated voices and conductors of the 20th century. Notable is the captivating duet of tenor Richard Tucker and baritone Leonard Warren in Simon Boccanegra and La Forza del Destino. Buy the CD on Amazon here.
8. A subscription to Classical Music UK magazine
Give a subscription as a Christmas gift and the recipient can enjoy reading dedicated content about the classical music world. With news and reviews for performers, agents, managers and promoters along with anyone with an interest in classical music. Choose from a printed magazine, digital content or both. Click here to find out more.
9. Buxton Opera House silk scarf
This 100% silk scarf designed by local artist Pam Smart, features a striking print inspired by Buxton Opera House. Crafted in England using the finest quality silk twill, each scarf is meticulously finished with a delicate hand-rolled and hand-stitched edge. Presented in a luxury gift box and hand tied with ribbon, this makes a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift. Click here to find out more.