The cost of things

Also in this Le Monde special edition from last year, a very educating article about the actual cost of producing an opera, with the example of the 11 performances of Mozart's The Magic Flute in Paris (2005, Opéra Bastille). This production generated 2.3 million € from the ticket & subscriptions sales, whereas it cost 5.7 million € (42% to pay the permanent staff of the Opera House, 29% to pay for the artists and production staff, 15% for the orchestra and 5% for the costumes, sets and various accessories). In the full article below, the journalist also points out Opera Houses could not survive in France without subventions from the government: of the 160 million € budget of the Paris Opera (both Garnier and Bastille), they represent 100 millions; in comparison, the ticket & subscriptions sales provide with only 46 millions. 13 additional million € come from private fundings and other commercial transactions (renting to host private parties, movie filming, ...). Yes indeed, opera is an expensive business.