The Teatro dell’Opera is one of the most important venues in Rome’s vibrant cultural life. It holds its own on the Italian national opera scene alongside the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan (link: La Scala) and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
Opera originated in Italy in the 17th century and it’s therefore no coincidence that it has such an important place in the country’s culture today. Italian opera gave rise to such great composers as Rossini and Verdi. Rome makes a great opera venue, and in fact the city itself has starred in emblematic works including Puccini’s Tosca, which takes place in three different Roman settings: the Basilica di Sant’Andrea della Valle, Palazzo Farnese and Castel Sant’Angelo. This quintessentially Roman tale of jealousy, betrayal and base passions premiered in 1900 in the Teatro dell’Opera, then called the Teatro Costanzi.
Teatro dell’Opera: a surprise hiding inside an austere building
The Teatro dell’Opera is located in Rome’s lively Piazza Beniamino Gigli and the surrounding area boasts the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and the Palazzo del Quirinale. The facade of the opera house is strikingly restrained. The architect Achille Sfondrini was the brain behind the building commissioned by Domenico Costanzi, an Italian entrepreneur. Construction began in 1879 and was completed in just 18 months! The opera house was known for a long time as the Teatro Costanzi, in a nod to its developer.
On opening day, November 27th 1880, the performance of Rossini’s Semiramide was attended by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The public needed no help in appreciating the unique features of the building. Sfondrini wanted to optimise the acoustics and designed the space as a horseshoe-shaped resonance chamber. The original building had three tiers of boxes, a circle and two galleries, with seating for a total of 2,212 people.
The crowning glory of the opera house is its golden dome decorated with magnificent frescoes by Perugian-born Annibale Brugnoli.
Opera in Rome: important milestones
The somewhat mythical Teatro dell’Opera has a colourful history. Domenico Costanzi personally managed it for many years. With its original promoter at the helm, the opera house enjoyed a productive period which firmly established its importance in the international opera world. Among its world premieres was Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. After Costanzi’s death, his son Enrico took up the reins and it was on his watch that the greatest event in the history of the Teatro dell’Opera took place: the premiere of Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini. January 14th 1900 will forever be marked in the history of the opera house and of Rome.
Another entrepreneur, Walter Mocchi, acquired the Teatro Costanzi in 1907 and from 1912 it was his wife – the soprano Emma Carelli – who ran things. Under Carelli’s management, the opera house staged the first performance in Italy of Wagner’s Parsifal and was visited by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.
From Teatro Costanzi to Teatro dell’Opera
In 1926 the theatre was acquired by the Town Hall of Rome and the Teatro Costanzi became the Teatro Reale dell’Opera. Following partial reconstruction works, it was reopened on February 27th 1928 with a performance of Nerone, by Arrigo Boito. As part of the refurbishment, the circle was demolished to make room for a fourth tier of boxes. The theatre was redecorated and now boasted a huge Murano glass light with a diameter of six metres. A new main entrance was installed in what is now Piazza Beniamino Gigli.
After the proclamation of the Italian Republic, the theatre adopted the name it now has today: Teatro dell’Opera. A second reconstruction project was undertaken prior to the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. The style of the building exterior underwent radical changes including the construction of the current facade, the entrance and the foyer. The legendary acoustics were preserved despite modifications that included restoration of the stucco decor, a new air conditioning system, a bigger proscenium and a reduced seating capacity of 1,600.
Opera season and other performances
Rome’s opera season operates from its main headquarters in the old Teatro Costanzi, and taking in an opera is surely the best way to discover the building both inside and out. The Teatro dell’Opera stages great operatic works while the nearby Teatro Nazionale typically puts on ballet performances and concerts, and since 1937 there has been a regular summer programme of outdoor performances on the stage erected at the Terme di Caracalla.
The splendid gold and red velvet stage of the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome is the venue for operatic masterpieces from throughout the ages. The programme has no shortage of works by the great names in Italian opera. Opera-lovers far and wide come to the Eternal City to enjoy different versions of famous pieces such as Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s Tosca or Turandot and operas by Bellini and others. The world’s best sopranos and tenors take to the stage in Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera to entertain the public.
The programme also includes concerts and dance performances. The opera house’s corps de ballet is one of the most noteworthy dance companies in Italy. It has given world-famous performances of classic ballet works and brought to life pieces by modern choreographers including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Serge Lifar and Krzysztof Pastor.
