I just returned from a concert given by the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica at the Teatro Nacional. The concert, of course, was spectacular as the orchestra played pieces by Tchaikovsky, Smetana, and Rimsky-Korsakoff and brought in an American pianist to perform one of Rachmaninoff's piano concertos. The theatre was beautiful as well. Constructed in the 1890s, the Teatro was, according to legend, built to accomodate a European prima donna who refused to perform in Costa Rica until there was a proper venue for her here. The construction was funded through a special tax on coffee exports. The theatre's interior is modeled after the Paris Opera House, containing rich gold lining, a mural of cherubs painted on the ceiling, and a marvelous crystal chandelier. A must-see for all fine arts fans visiting San José.
The back of the Teatro Nacional next to the pigeon-infested Plaza de la Cultura
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