The Teatro Real is Madrid's royal opera house, residing in a magnificent Classicist building at Plaza de Oriente directly opposite the Royal Palace, opened in 1850 under Queen Isabella II. The house with around 1,750 seats was closed from 1925 to 1966 and served as a concert hall — a 41-year hiatus as an opera house. Only after extensive restoration was it reopened as an opera house in 1997, after a total 72-year break from staging opera. The Teatro Real produces about ten opera premieres per season with international orientation and is considered one of the most important European opera houses, with particular focus on the Spanish and French repertoire.
During the 72-year operatic hiatus the house served at times even as a powder magazine and storeroom — a humbling interim use for Madrid's once-magnificent opera.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Madrid, Spain
More venues in Madrid
- Auditorio Nacional de Música · Multi-genre theatre, Madrid
- Salto Escénico · Theatre, Madrid
- Teatro de la Zarzuela · Opera house, Madrid
More venues in Spain
- Gran Teatre del Liceu · Opera house, Barcelona
- Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía · Opera house, Valencia
- Teatre Nacional de Catalunya · Theatre, Barcelona
- Teatro Arriaga · Opera house, Bilbao
- Teatro de la Maestranza · Opera house, Sevilla