Teatro Colón

The Teatro Colón (Spanish) (Colón Theatre) in Buenos Aires, Argentina is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. The present theatre, the second with that name, opened in 1908 after twenty years under construction. It has 2,367 seats and standing room for 1,000.

It is located on 9 de Julio Avenue, in the heart of the city, although the main entrance is on Libertad street.

Prior to the construction of the current Teatro Colón, opera performances were given in several theatres, of which the first Teatro Colón (see below) and the Teatro de la Ópera were most important. The principal company that performed at the Teatro de la Ópera moved to the Teatro Colón in 1908. However, important companies also performed at the Teatro Politeama and the Teatro Coliseo which opened in 1907. In many seasons, the Teatro Colón was the first stop on an extended tour of South America which would also include visits to Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and sometimes other cities.

The first Teatro Colón

By the mid-1850s, with the flourishing of opera given by touring companies, the need for a new theatre became obvious. In 1854 alone, 53 different operas were performed in the city. The first “Teatro Colón” was built in 1856 and opened on 25 April 1857 with Verdi’s La Traviata, just four years after its Italian premiere. It proved to be a reliable venue for over 30 years, with 2,500 seats and the inclusion of a cazuela , a separate gallery, which was reserved only for women. By the 1880s, the need for a modern facility became apparent and the building was sold to a bank, the proceeds from which would support the construction of a new opera house in a central location.
The present Teatro Colón

The cornerstone of the present Teatro Colón was laid in 1889 under the direction of architect Francesco Tamburini and his pupil, Angelo Ferrari, who designed a modern theatre in the Italian style on a scale and with amenities which matched those in Europe. However, due to local arguments regarding location and other factors, construction dragged on for twenty years before the house was completed by Julio Dormal in 1908. In the intervening years, Tamburini died and Ferrari was assassinated, thus complicating the process.

The theatre opened on 25 May 1908 with a performance of Verdi’s Aida and it quickly became a world-famous operatic centre rivaling La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera in attracting major talent. Over the years, the Colón Theatre has hosted such great names as Titta Ruffo, Amelita Galli-Curci, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Arturo Toscanini, Jane Bathori, Enrico Caruso, Claudia Muzio, Viorica Ursuleac, Maria Callas, Jon Vickers, Norman Treigle, Beverly Sills, John O'Sullivan, Renata Tebaldi, Plácido Domingo, Ástor Piazzolla and Luciano Pavarotti.

With perfect acoustics and modern stage areas, the theatre's interior design featured a rich scarlet and gold decor. The cupola contains frescoes painted in 1966 by the renowned 20th century artist Raúl Soldi during renovation work.

In recent years, given the political and economic circumstances of Argentina, the Colón Theatre has suffered considerably but has begun a period of slow recovery.

The theatre is presently undergoing several phases of remodeling and production activities ceased at the end of October 2006 to allow full refurbishment to take place in time for its re-opening on 25 May 2008, the present theatre's 100th Anniversary.

Source