As a group of five Indians enter the main auditorium of the Royal Opera House Muscat in the capital city of Muscat, their guide ushers them to take the comfortable parterre seats in front of the stage. Preparations for the next production are underway. The star on the stage? One of the world’s heaviest movable pipe organs. Weighing almost 50 tonne, its 4,500 pipes have mesmerised audiences with their sheer scale of sound ranging from soft whispers to high-octane notes.
The organ crafted by the legendary Klais Orgelbau can be moved using a hydraulic system. Look carefully and you will notice Omani designs on the pipes. It’s not just the pipe organ which moves, but the stage too. The front seats go underground if the stage needs to be expanded for a larger performance. And the six balconies adjacent to the stage? Yes, they move too.
Since its inception in 2011, the Royal Opera House Muscat has been instrumental in promoting opera, orchestra, global musical compositions and Arabic music. Envisioned by Sultan Qaboos, the Royal Opera House Muscat has the distinction of being the first opera house in the Arabian Peninsula. Right in the centre of the auditorium, there is a box reserved for the Sultan. Its distinguishing feature is the royal crest of Oman—Khanjar Wa Sayfain. The main auditorium can accommodate 1,100 people. Each seat is fitted with translation devices that translate to English and Arabic. This is because the operas are performed in their original languages, be it Spanish, Italian or French.
In the corridor that leads to the main auditorium, it is natural to stop to admire the glass showcases that display unique musical instruments. A French cittern with a maple back and fingerboard edged with ivory and ebony chevrons grabs your attention. An 1825 guitar which has a mahogany veneered back is in almost mint condition. A 1790 clarinet in boxwood sits alongside a boxwood oboe. In another showcase, a late 18th-century tenor oboe in fruitwood gives company to a military fife in ivory—it was probably made in Switzerland.
It’s the perfect place to head to if you want some music in your life, of course, coupled with aesthetics.
