Argentina Tours & Travel | Sightseeing in Buenos Aires: El Teatro Colon
The Teatro Colon is called the most beautiful opera house in the world and is a popular place to visit on Argentina tours. It is large for a European-inspired opera house, with seating for 2,500, standing room for another 500, three floors of boxes and several breathtakingly grand salons. The orchestra pit accommodates 120 musicians, and the acoustics are internationally renowned. The building stands seven stories, three below ground, with French and Greek influences in its neo-Renaissance design.
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Opera buffs on Argentina tours will be interested to know that Buenos Aires' operatic traditions date back to the late 18th century, long before the Teatro Colon became the premier venue for opera in South America. Neither is the Teatro Colon the capital's first opera house. The original Teatro opened in 1857 across the street from La Plaza de Mayo. The site was sold after thirty years of operation to the National Bank of Argentina to fund its more lavish successor.
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The Teatro Colon took twenty years to construct and several architects, one style building upon another. The house opened in 1908 with a production of Verdi´s Aida, the already popular war horse filled with melodious arias, rousing choruses and a grand triumphal march, complete with live animals. A popular kick-off production for new venues, Aida was originally commissioned for the 1871 opening of Cairo's Grand Opera House and the Suez Canal.
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From the start, the Teatro Colon attracted the top names in opera. Such luminaries, past and present, as Enrico Caruso, Maria Callas, Kirsten Flagstad and Luciano Pavarotti have graced the stage of the Teatro Colon under the baton of such legendary conductors as Wilhelm Furtwangler and Karl Bohm.
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Many composers have conducted their own works at the Teatro Colon including Richard Strauss, Ottorino Respighi, Igor Stravinski and the Spanish composer, Manuel de Falla. Wagner's complete Ring Cycle was presented in 1922 and again in 1967. Sir Thomas Beecham conducted productions of Carmen, Fidelio and Otello for the 50th anniversary celebration of the house. Nijinski, Nureyev, Pavlova and Fonteyn, among other stars of the ballet world, have all danced here.
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Visitors will need to schedule their Argentina tours between March and December to see an opera performance at the Teatro Colon. The venue is home to Argentina's national symphony orchestra and national ballet company. New works are encouraged through the Centro de Experimentacion de Teatro Colon, established in 1990. Various other musical and theatrical events are also presented, keeping the stage busy year-round, so there is always something to see here when you travel to Argentina. The building also houses a professional music school and music library.
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After ending the 2006 opera season with a production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Teatro Colon closed for a two-year renovation and is scheduled to re-open in the spring of 2008 for its centenary season. Enjoying opera at the Teatro Colon can be pricey, especially if you wait until arriving in town on your Argentina tours to purchase tickets.
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The Teatro Colon is located in central Buenos Aires opposite the Plaza Lavalle on Libertad not far from the Obelisk. Daily tours scheduled in English and Spanish will resume when the opera house re-opens. These Argentina tours are popular, so reservations are recommended. For more details on visiting the Teatro Colon when you travel to Argentina, go to www.teatrocolon.org.
