The Teatro Real is one of the main historic buildings in Madrid. It dates back a hundred and fifty years and not only has it undergone countless restorations but it has delighted the people in the audience with a wide range of performances. The Teatro Real is a symbol of the culture and the architecture of Madrid in the XIX century. It is a splendid sight seen from Plaza de Isabel II or from Plaza de Oriente. We have already talked about Real Academia de San Fernando, and today we will visit another historic place in Madrid: the Teatro Real.

A TEMPLE FOR GRAND OPERAS
In this blog we wrote about the area of Opera, and we mentioned the impressive building of the Teatro Real which is an unmistakable symbol of this part of Madrid. It was inaugurated in 1850 and has a built surface of 65.000 square metres. It seats 1.800 people and it is considered one of the most prestigious Opera Houses in Europe. The music which is performed in the Teatro Real has led to the name of the area and to the underground station called Opera which is next to it.

Since it was inaugurated in 1850 until 1924, it was an Opera House. In that year, 1924, it was closed down for a period of 40 years. In 1965, it was reopened and symphony orchestras performed there. Later, in the 80´s, an important restoration was carried out. In 1997, it opened again as an Opera House. The Teatro Real was declared a historic monument in 1993.

A PERFECT ATMOSPHERE FOR A GREAT PERFORMANCE

The Teatro Real has captured with remarkable perfection the opera performances held in the XIX century. The current state-of-the-art technology allows a quick change of scenery.

In 1817, king Fernando VII ordered the remodeling of Plaza de Oriente. Thus, the Opera House also started to be built. The building work lasted for 33 years. In the reign of queen Isabel II, it was inaugurated.

From then on, its prestige grew until it became one of the most important Opera Houses in Europe. It reached all its splendour and glory at the end of the XIX century when the greatest opera singers of the time performed there.

VERDI IN THE TEATRO REAL

Giuseppe Verdi, who can be considered one of the greatest opera composers of all times, personally attended in the Teatro Real, the first performance of his work La Forza del Destino, in 1863.

Picture 01: Tony Rodrigo

Picture 03: Olivier Bruchez

Picture 04: Los Mininos

Picture 05: Álex Guerrero

Picture 06: PromoMadrid