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The Teatro Colón in 2008 – By Marcus Guimarães –

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Teatro Colón

The Teatro Colón is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is arguably one of the greatest opera houses in South America.

The name Teatro Colón is Spanish and translates directly to Columbus Theatre. This grand opera is highly regarded in the art and performance world. It is regarded as one of the best in several aspects such as acoustics, concert performances, and even its art and design.

The Teatro Colón is a majestic and sprawling opera house woven into the history of Argentina and South America. It has hosted some Opera greats over the years and has been host to some of Opera’s biggest nights.

This article will provide a look into some intriguing facts about this phenomenal Teatro Colón.

1. The Current Building Is the Second Iteration of The Opera House

1864 view of the original Teatro Colón (at left) and the old Plaza de Mayo colonnade, both long since demolished – By Esteban Gonnet –

Before, the construction and opening of the current Teatro Colón, there was another opera house with the same name. It is known as the first Teatro Colón.

The first Teatro Colón was located in the Plaza de Mayo. It was designed by Charles Pellegrini and used with great success for 30 over 30 years.

This iteration of the opera house was officially opened on 27th April 1857. The ceremony was graced with a performance of Verdi’s La Traviata. On 13th September 13th, 1888, the theatre was closed to allow for the construction of the new and improved current building.

2. Construction of The Current Building Took 20 Years

After the closure of the first building in 1888, construction of the second, current, building began the following year. The first cornerstone was laid in 1889.

It was designed by two Italian architects Francesco Tamburini and Vittorio Meano. The construction of this theatre was encumbered by several difficulties. These difficulties include the 1890 crisis and the Italian finance of the project running out of funds. Other difficulties include arguments over the location and the untimely and suspicious deaths of both architects.

Due to these difficulties, construction was halted for a long time. Eventually, it was picked up again and completed by Belgian architect Julio Dormal. Julio is known as the man who introduced the Beaux-Arts architectural style to Buenos Aires in the late 19th century.

Construction was finally completed and the Teatro Colón opera house was officially opened on May 26th, 1908.

3. The Teatro Colón Is Famous for Its Perfect Acoustics

The Teatro Colón is considered to have the best acoustics in the world as a symphonic auditorium. This opinion is backed not only by performers but regular audiences and the appropriate measurements on the matter.

The opera houses’ impeccable acoustics can be attributed to their shoebox design. Consequently, the Teatro Colón is classified in the top 5 best opera houses in the world in terms of acoustics. Not a small fete by any measure. Luciano Pavarotti, the great Italian operatic tenor shared this opinion.

4. It Has Hosted Numerous World-Famous Artists

The Teatro Colón has existed for over a century and has hosted many artists and performers over the years. Although recognized as an opera house, the Teatro Colón hosts all kinds of performers including dancers, singers, composers, and even régisseurs. It would not be possible to list everyone but below are some popular artists who have graced the Teatro Colón.

Famous composers include; Richard Strauss, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Arthur Honegger, and Igor Stravinsky among others. Conductors include; Arturo Toscanini, René Jacobs, Erich Kleiber, and Fritz Busch just to name a few.

The list of singers is long and includes Luciano Pavarotti, Fyodor Chaliapin, José Carreras, Beniamino Gigli, and Lauritz Melchior. Many famous dancers have also performed here including Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, and Alicia Alonso.

Many of the leading orchestras have performed at this monumental opera house. They include; The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, The New York Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London.

5. Teatro Colón Has a Unique Interior

Teatro Colón Interior – By Carlos Ravazzani –

The auditorium of the opera house has a seating capacity of 2,487. The additional standing room can comfortably take 1,000 people.

The Teatro Colón’s stage is 20 m wide, 15 m high, and 20 m deep. The building has 9 floors, 6 above grounds, and 3 below. There are 7 elevators to ease movement between floors.

At the center of the auditorium is a large chandelier with 700 light bulbs. The chandelier is a sight to behold by itself. The interior is characterized by designs featuring rich scarlets and gold décor. The interior of the cupola has a canvas painted by Raúl Soldi in 1966.

6. Bombed In 1910

In 1910, the Teatro was bombed by anarchists. The bomb landed and went off in the middle of the orchestra.

According to survivors, the horror could not be exaggerated. The orchestra was cleaned up and repairs were done to material damage.

7. Refurbished For $100 million

Teatro Colón – By Raphael Henrique Figueira –

Due to the gradual decline and deterioration of the building, a renovation project of the Teatro Colón was started in 2005.

The project was projected to only take a maximum of 18 months and cost $25 million with a reopening date scheduled for May 2008. Due to political and economic turbulence in Argentina, this project suffered greatly.

The 18-month project ended up taking 5 years to complete and accrued costs up to 100 million. The project used 1500 workers in total, a number which includes 130 professional architects and engineers.

8. After Renovations It Was Re-Opened On 24th May 2010

Reopening celebrations on 24th May 2010 – By Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires –

The Teatro Colón was officially closed on 1st November 2005 for renovations. The final performance before the closure was a concert starring folklore singer Mercedes Sosa in a performance with the Argentine National Symphony Orchestra.

The house was finally reopened on 24th May 2010 after a long wait. This date was the eve of the theatre’s 102nd birthday as well as the Argentina Bicentennial.

The reopening of the theater was a massive event as thousands of people gathered in front of the building to celebrate. The event had a gala concert as well as 3D animations to entertain those in and outside the opera house. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Act 2 of Puccini’s La bohème were performed.

9. The ‘Golden Room’ Inside Teatro Colón is Captivating

The Golden Room – By jmpznz –

One of the most impressive and eye-catching spaces in the theatre is the Golden Room, also called the Salón Dorado. As the name suggests, it is decorated mostly with gold ornaments and columns and magnificent-looking frescoes.

This space/room runs the entire length of the theatre. There are mirrors on each end of the room, making it appear like a never-ending hallway. It is compared to the opulent spaces found at the Palace of Versailles or Schönbrunn Palace.

10. The Teatro Colón Is the Main Opera House in Buenos Aires

Although the Teatro Colón now serves as the city’s primary opera house, performances were formerly held in other locations. Other than the original theater, major events were frequently held at the Teatro Opera, Teatro Politeama, and Teatro Coliseo.