Symphonies and the Ballet

Ninety percent of what I wrote above about opera applies to symphony and ballet performances as well, except that tickets will be marginally cheaper than those for opera. By the way, don’t just look for these sorts of performances in the obvious places. I’ve seen great ballets in Sweden, outstanding music in Finland, and a piano recital held outdoors in a ruin in the heart of Rome. Even more so than with opera, the symphony orchestras and ballet companies of Eastern Europe offer world-class performances at a fraction of Western European prices.