Barcelona’s Liceu opera house launches streaming service to watch live opera in 4K

The Barcelona Liceu opera house has launched ‘Liceu+ Live’, a new segment in its streaming platform offering opera performances live in 4K. Subscribers will be able to watch "excellent" live or recorded content from anywhere.

To access the service, the Liceu opera house will sell season tickets allowing subscribers to watch five different opera performances that will be available over two seasons. 

During the 2022-23 season, ‘Liceu+ Live’ will stream ‘Il trovatore’ and ‘Macbeth’ by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Il trittico’- and ‘Tosca’, and ‘Manon’ by Jules Massenet. 

The Liceu will use seven 4K cameras and audio compatible with Dolby 5.1 systems.

These live streams will have a presenter who will explain relevant information about the show and interview the performers. Subtitles will be available in Catalan, Spanish, English, and the original language of the performance. 

During the opera shows, a live chat will be activated for people to comment on the performance live. 

‘Liceu+ Live’ will also upload recordings of the different performances where viewers will get to play with the different camera angles and check the sheet music of the work.

Subscriptions usually cost €60 but the opera house has an ongoing promotion for new subscribers at €40. This is part of the already launched streaming platform in November 2021, Liceu+.

Netflix joins ESCAC to launch scholarship

Catalonia’s Cinema and audiovisuals school (ESCAC) and the streaming platform Netflix have created a scholarship for the center’s screenplay writing master’s program. The Catalan school is part of a pilot program focusing on aid in cinema and audiovisual education. 

The initiative hopes to have a "more inclusive and diverse" audiovisual sector with "new approaches and narrative proposals from minority social groups," a statement reads. 

One of the goals is to "promote creative equity and encourage people from different cultural, sexual and gender backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities, to step in front of the camera."