Teatro de la Zarzuela
Location | Madrid, Spain |
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Coordinates | 40°25′02″N 3°41′48″W / 40.417185°N 3.696782°W |
Capacity | 1,242 seats |
Construction | |
Opened | 10 October 1856 |
Reopened | 1914 |
Rebuilt | 1910–1913 |
Architect |
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Type | Non-movable |
Criteria | Monument |
Designated | 4 March 1994 |
Reference no. | RI-51-0008693 |
The Teatro de la Zarzuela is a theatre in
History
The theatre was designed by architect
In the second half of the nineteenth century, Teatro de la Zarzuela became Madrid's leading opera house, staging many of the great masterworks. On November 9, 1909 the building was virtually destroyed by fire. The rebuild by Cesareo Iradier reduced the amount of wood and metal, and in 1914 Maestro Luna raised the curtain with his orchestra to reopen the theatre. With the Teatro Real opera house closed from 1925 to 1997, Teatro de la Zarzuela remained Madrid's leading venue throughout the period and hosted most major opera events.[1] The theatre's resident ensemble is the Community of Madrid Orchestra.
The ceiling originally featured magnificent works by the painters Francisco Hernández Tomé and Manuel Castellanos, but these were destroyed in renovations and structural changes that were made in 1956.[3] The theatre then was acquired by the Sociedad General de Autores de España, although much of the facade and interior ornamentation was lost. Later it became the property of the state. In 1984 the Ministry of Culture, with Madrid still lacking an opera house, expanded the range of activities beyond zarzuela and opera to encompass flamenco and other dance. The building was given heritage status in 1994, and in 1998 was again remodelled, restoring much of the original structure and form.[1]
See also
- Emilio Arrieta
- Manuel Fernández Caballero
- Antonia García de Videgain
- Francisco Alonso
- Jerónimo Jiménez
- José María Alvira
- Ruperto Chapí