Instead of doing my monthly “what to expect this month”, I’m bringing you a quarantine special where you can walk the ruins of Machu Picchu, discover the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, and stream productions from the National Theatre all from within the safety of your four walls!
Even though we’re stuck at home, why should we be deprived of some arts and culture?
Museums
Walk through some of the most impressive monuments in the world and discover all the artistic and cultural diversity they have to offer. What’s more, there will be no one to get in your way on these virtual tours!
The Guggenheim, New York City
You can now tour the museum’s collection via Google Street View which allows you to walk the halls of this museum and appreciate all of the artwork it has to offer.
The Palace of Versailles, France
Walk through the famous Hall of Mirrors using this virtual tour and discover what makes this palace so famous around the world.
The Art Institute of Chicago
This museum happens to be one of the most famous museums in the world featuring work from Monet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Cézanne.
Machu Picchu, Peru
While this won’t have the same effect as actually being there, this virtual tour allows you to walk through the ruins of Machu Picchu from the comfort of your home.
The Boboli Gardens, Florence
The Boboli Gardens form part of the Pitti Palace in Florence. If you’re feeling deprived of some greenery, I would definitely recommend having a wander through these gardens.
Google’s Arts and Culture section features 2500 museums and galleries to visit around the world: including a tour of the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, and Stonehenge. Don’t miss everything they have to offer.
Music
With concert halls and opera houses closed, musicians around the world are live-streaming their concerts.
Garsington Opera
Have made their 2019 production of Smetana’s Bartered Bride, as well as their Nozze di Figaro, recorded in 2017 available to watch for free on their website.
The Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is making weekly ballets or operas available on their Facebook and YouTube channels. Among these are Acis and Galatea and Johnathan Miller’s Così fan tutte. The Royal Opera House is also offering a free 30-day trial on Marquee TV, an arts streaming service.
New York’s Metropolitan Opera
The Met Opera is streaming past productions from its award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
The LPO has launched the remarkable performance of a movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet No.10 as well as weekly performances available on their website.
The London Symphony Orchestra
The LSO have begun streaming full-length concerts on Thursday and Sunday evenings which features the likes of Schumann, Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Bartók (amongst others).
Besides all of these new streaming platforms, many UK organisations live stream their concerts, making them available via YouTube. Don’t miss Wigmore Hall or Melbourne Symphony Orchestra among others.
Theatre
BBC’s Culture in Quarantine
While this has not already been put in place, the programme for BBC’s Culture in Quarantine Festival is out which includes RSC productions such as its 2016 Hamlet and 2018 Macbeth, as well as new filmed recordings of Mike Bartlett’s play Albion, and a puppet show by Margaret Atwood. Keep a look out for how to view this.
National Theatre Live
Starting from 2 April, The National Theatre Live will introduce the best of British theatre every Thursday at 7pm UK time, available to stream for a week on their YouTube channel.
With a near-global lockdown, entertain yourself with these free online experiences to starve off your boredom.
