in Europe, they tend to be less intense - there will be a 3-4 hour rehearsal in the morning, several hours off in the afternoon, and another 3 hours or so in the evening - at least that's they way the do it in Vienna and Zurich. I believe this is because a lot more of the singers live full-time in the cities where they perform, and the opera houses recognise (or have been made to recognise) that the singers want some time off during the day to take care of other aspects of their lives, like medical appointments, picking kids up from school, shopping, etc.
This very much reflects the way of life in Austria and Switzerland. Offices and shops also follow these hours - bloody difficult for workers to get any shopping or other business done; the only thing open during the midday hours are the Gasthäuser! Merry
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