Teatro de la Zarzuela was built a hundred and fifty years ago. From the very beginning the performances were related to Spanish operatic singing. This theatre is one of the most important in Spain and it claims the Spanish heritage of zarzuela, opera, dancing, concerts and recitals. All of this has taken place in this theatre which has become essential in the conservation and diffusion of the Spanish lyrical heritage. In our article called “Places with a lot of History” in Madrid, we talked about Teatro Real. Today, we visit a different theatre which is very significant in the culture of Madrid: Teatro de la Zarzuela.

THE TEMPLE OF SPANISH LYRICS

In the second half of the XIX century, Madrid started to modernize at a quick pace. It grew and it expanded and as a result, places of leisure and culture increased in number as the people of Madrid became keener and keener on enjoying themselves to the full.

At that time, Spanish operatic singing was very popular and very much in demand. Therefore, real-estate developers decided to build Teatro de la Zarzuela where these performances took place. The building project was modern and centrally located, as it was next to Calle Alcalá. It was inaugurated on 10th October 1856 which was the birthday date of queen Isabel II. The building consisted of a great horseshoe shaped hall and three levels of boxes.

1909: A FIRE DESTROYS THE THEATRE

The premiere of countless musicians, singers and authors took place in Teatro de la Zarzuela. Variety Shows were also very popular at that time, but operatic singing was even more successful.

On 9th November 1909, a terrible fire reduced most of the theatre to ashes. It had to be reconstructed by the architect Cesáreo Iradier. It was not opened to the public till 1913. Iradier conserved its original structure with the horseshoe shaped hall and with the three different levels of boxes. However, he used more metal so as to make the building more solid and resistant.

After the Spanish Civil War the activity of Teatro de la Zarzuela decreased and thus, its ownership changed. The Ministry of Culture did not purchase it till 1984. From then on, new kinds of performances took place such as dancing and flamenco. Finally, in 1998, Teatro de la Zarzuela returned to its origins and its programme became focused on Spanish lyrics.

A UNIQUE PLACE

Teatro de la Zarzuela was declared a national monument in 1994 as it is the first and only theatre were zarzuela is performed.

Pictures: Teatro de la Zarzuela