Teatro Real
Begun in 1818, the Royal Opera House finally opened its doors in 1850 in time to celebrate the 20th birthday of Queen Isabel II, and it has seen some dramatic moments since. A partial collapse caused its closure in 1925, and an exploding powder keg during the Civil War meant it sat derelict for some 40 years. After extensive renovation, it finally reopened as an opera house in 1997 with Manuel de Falla’s La Vida Breve (Life Is Short). Today, it is one of the world’s finest settings for opera and ballet, with state-of-the-art technical capacity as impressive as its restored 19th-century grandeur. A variety of guided tours are available, in English by request, but the best way to appreciate it is to attend a performance. You can often pick up restricted view tickets for as little as 20€. Operas are usually subtitled in English.
Begun in 1818, the Royal Opera House finally opened its doors in 1850 in time to celebrate the 20th birthday of Queen Isabel II, and it has seen some dramatic moments since. A partial collapse caused its closure in 1925, and an exploding powder keg during the Civil War meant it sat derelict for some 40 years. After extensive renovation, it finally reopened as an opera house in 1997 with Manuel de Falla’s La Vida Breve (Life Is Short). Today, it is one of the world’s finest settings for opera and ballet, with state-of-the-art technical capacity as impressive as its restored 19th-century grandeur. A variety of guided tours are available, in English by request, but the best way to appreciate it is to attend a performance. You can often pick up restricted view tickets for as little as 20€. Operas are usually subtitled in English.
Details
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
