Outpost of the opera

Known as "Paris in the Jungle", the city of Manaus was once home to wealthy socialites made rich on the back of an early 20th-century's rubber boom. Today, however, this sprawling urban development - the capital of Brazil's Amazon - is an untidy mass of low-rise, low-rent buildings.

Nearly all of the rubber barons' once extravagant public buildings have been knocked down or fallen into a serious state of decline. Nearly, but not all. Bursting through the skyline in the centre of the city stands the Amazon Opera House.

It was left to rot in the humid Amazonian heat for much of the 20th-century, but a restoration programme began 10 years ago. And now that the renovation of the vast, sugar-pink building is nearing completion, the future of the Opera House once again looks assured. For Ines Lima Daou, the director of the venue, the Opera House's rise, fall and rise again says much about the Brazilian attitude to the past. "We don't value anything that's old in Brazil," she explains. "Everything is about creating new things: buildings, works of art, whatever. And for many years the Opera House suffered from this mind-set."

One reason for this neglect was the building's somewhat odd location. With the majority of the country's cultural events staged in the cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, an opera house in this remote northern jungle state long proved unattractive to patrons of the arts: "Manaus once had its own wealthy class who built the Opera House and then frequented it. But when their money dried up no one wanted to come here," says Daou. "Those that remained were poor and obviously couldn't afford to go to the opera, so the place fell into a spiral of decline."

This continued until 1990, when the state governor was persuaded to restore the Opera House. A decade-long programme of renovation was initiated to return the faded Italian-Renaissance style building to its former glories.

"Even during the years of neglect, the Opera House remained a symbol of the Amazon's capital city," says Daou. "People still loved it because it reminded them of the days when Manaus was known across the world for producing rubber."

As word of the building's return to its old opulence spread among opera buffs, increasing numbers started to make the journey to this Brazilian outpost. In 1997, responding to an overwhelming response from enthusiasts, Daou staged Manaus's first international opera festival. Such was the success of this outing on the world opera stage, that a yearly April festival now takes place, starring an ever-increasing number of big-name conductors and singers, including Jose Carreras.

As the festival continues to grow in stature, the venue has at last returned to its glory years, when the likes of Jenny Lind, baritone Francesco Bonini and the Ballet Russe travelled to what must have seemed like the ends of the earth to perform.

The venue's growing reputation has also helped attract musicians for its permanent philharmonic orchestra from places as far away as Russia and Belarus; as well as Europe and South America. For today's visitor it is easy to conjure up images of the splendid yesteryear. When it was first built in 1896, some £2 million was lavished on a building designed and for the most part constructed in Europe. Its wrought-iron skeleton was brought in from Scotland; its stone from Italy; and the 36,000 tiles used to make the flamboyant cupola were from France. The restoration programme has remained faithful to the original design. The main auditorium has an intimate atmosphere and seats 700 in individual dark wood chairs, upholstered with red velvet.

There are 90 boxes, on three floors; and 22 golden Greek tragedy masks. Each one represents an artist, writer, painter or musician: some are still renowned like Shakespeare, Beethoven or Wagner. On the ceiling four ornate iron pillars are painted, representing the Eiffel Tower. The idea is for patrons to look up and imagine that they are seated underneath the great Parisian landmark.

Bearing in mind the problems encountered by the elaborate, incongruous building in the past, Daou is determined that the Opera House should become a facility for the whole city. Apart from encouraging school visits, where resident artists perform and then explain their work, she has recently initiated a series of concerts for local/musicians.

"Not everyone is interested in opera, dance or theatre and because Brazil has such a strong tradition of popular music I thought it only right to give this art form due space," she says.

Earlier this year, Amazonian musicians were invited to perform in the free weekly concerts held in the main auditorium. The success of this programme was immediate.

"Some musicians felt a bit odd being on such an ornate stage with just a guitar, but they soon got used to it because the audience received them so well," explains Daou.

"We are definitely attracting people from all walks of life into the Opera House which is a great thing. Although this place is very grand, it should belong to everyone - because that's the only way to secure its future."