Royal Opera and Ballet House Covent Garden- Royal Theater Covent Garden in London (Theater Royal, Covent Garden) - the UK's largest opera house. Its name comes from the area of Covent Garden where the theater is located. It was founded by an English theatrical figure and ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers
This term has other meanings, see Covent Garden. covent garden london Postal codes: WC2 ... Wikipedia
The London Royal Opera (eng. Royal Opera, London), often also called the Covent Garden Opera House (eng. Covent Garden) according to its original name, taken from the eponymous district of London, where the Royal Theater is located ... Wikipedia
"Covent Garden"— Covent Garden. Theater building. 1810. COVENT GARDEN (Covent Garden), English Opera House (London). Opened in 1732. Since 1847, the opera house, since the 1890s. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from the 1940s state. Since 1946 he has also been performing ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Covent Garden), English Opera House (London). Opened in 1732. Since 1847, the opera house, since the 1890s. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from the 1940s state. Since 1946 he has also acted ballet troupe(since 1957 Royal Ballet). Among… … Modern Encyclopedia
- (Covent Garden) (Royal Opera House Covent Garden) opera house in London, founded in 1732; in 1949 became state. The repertoire includes works by English composers and world classic(In the original language). The biggest performers... Big encyclopedic Dictionary
- "COVENT GARDEN" (Covent Garden) ("Royal Opera House Covent Garden"), an opera house in London, founded in 1732; in 1949 became state. The repertoire includes works by English composers and world classics (in the original language). ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Facade from Bow Street. The Royal Theater in Covent Garden (eng. Theater Royal, Covent Garden) is a theater in London, since 1946 serving as a venue for opera and ballet performances, the home stage of the London Royal Opera and London ... ... Wikipedia
- (Covent Garden) opera house in London, the largest in England. Name comes from the name of the district, in which t p is located. Founded by a prominent English theatre. figure and actor J. Rich. Opened 7 Dec. 1732 play Secular customs by W. Congreve. On the … Music Encyclopedia
Covent Garden Theater (London, UK) - repertoire, ticket prices, address, phone numbers, official website.
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One of the main cultural attractions of London - the Royal Opera House Covent Garden (Theatre Royal, Covent Garden) - serves as the home stage for the Royal Opera Company and the Royal Ballet. The modern building was erected in 1858 and became the third in a row, in the 1990s the theater underwent a grandiose reconstruction. For the first time, the theater was built on this site in 1732 - at the end of 2012, the theater celebrated its 280th anniversary.
The patron of the Royal Opera is the Prince of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth herself patronizes the Royal Ballet.
The auditorium of the Royal Theater can accommodate more than 2,200 spectators. Above the proscenium there is a screen on which the credits are broadcast. In addition, screens are built into the backs of some seats in the stalls, on which the librettos of the productions are transmitted. The patron of the Royal Opera is the Prince of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth herself patronizes the Royal Ballet.
Information
Address: WC2E 9DD, London, Covent Garden Piazza, 41.
How to get there: Covent Garden metro station, Piccadilly Line, then take buses number 9, 13, 15, 23, 139, 153.
The famous Royal Opera in London
Having won in civil war, the Puritan government of Cromwell supplied theatrical performances for their frivolous nature outside the law. Restored in 1660, the monarchy in the person of Charles II was not slow to restore the nation's right to have fun. True, permission to stage dramatic performances was granted to only two London theaters- dubbed the Royal Company under the direction of Thomas Killigrew and the Duke of York Company under Sir William Davenant (later Drury Lane and Covent Garden, respectively), which have since waged a desperate struggle with each other for the best actors and favor viewer.
For almost four hundred years of its existence, Covent Garden has experienced several reincarnations. The first theater with this name opened on December 7, 1732. It was built by the actor and impresario of the Duke of York Theater Company, John Rich. He was able to afford such a luxury thanks to the incredible success of The Beggar's Opera, written for him by John Gay and staged by him in Lincoln's Inn Fields. This collaboration, as they said then, made rich gay and gay rich(a pun that plays on the names of its participants - “rich man” and “merry fellow”).
Plan of the first building of the theater "Covent Garden"
What new theater obviously gave odds to his rival - so is the location of the royal box. In "Drury Lane" it was located so that the courtiers could get there only through the stage; and at Covent Garden access to the royal body was direct, which was appreciated by both parties.
Covent Garden has shown itself from the very beginning to be an advanced theatre. So in 1734, the premiere of "Pygmalion" took place on its stage - the first so-called. ballet d'action, i.e. a story told through dance (what eventually became known as classical ballet). From 1735 until his death, George Frideric Handel was the musical director of the theater, many of whose operas and oratorios were the first to be heard by the audience at Covent Garden. On May 16, 1767, on this stage, the piano made its debut as a public musical instrument: on that day, a certain Miss Bricker, accompanied by Charles Dibdin, sang an aria from Handel's "Judith"; and a year later, the first public piano concert took place here, the name of Johann Christian Bach was on the posters, younger son maestro.
In the following century, the then director of the theater, William Charles Macready, was the first in history to use, in 1837, Goldsworthy's Gurney drummond light, better known to us as footlights. Since then, of course, everyone has long since switched to electricity, but the expression in the limelight in English language successfully preserved to this day.
On September 20, 1808, the first of typical theatrical misfortunes befell Covent Garden. Like Shakespeare's Globe once, it was destroyed by a cannon that fired unsuccessfully during the play that was going on that evening. The building, almost rebuilt anew in 1792, burned to the ground, burying three dozen firefighters under the ruins. Handel's organ, scenery, costumes and a unique collection of original manuscripts of opera scores perished in the fire.
Design of the new Covent Garden theater by Robert Smirke © The British Museum
However, already on December 31, the Prince of Wales laid the first stone in the foundation of a new building. The architect was Robert Smirk (also the author of the building british museum), inspired by the Temple of Minerva on Athenian Acropolis. While Covent Garden was being rebuilt, its rival Drury Lane was also burned down. The theater for some time turned out to be a monopoly on the capital's dramatic scene. This, coupled with the need to compensate for construction costs, led the theater management to quite predictable decisions to give more space to boxes popular with wealthy people and, of course, to increase ticket prices both in the box and in the stalls.
Sarah Siddons and Philip Kemble in Macbeth
The new Covent Garden was to open on 18 September 1809 with Shakespeare's Macbeth, starring the incomparable Sarah Siddons as Lady Macbeth. However, these plans were not destined to come true. And here we need to make an important digression.
Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries the importance of the theater in the life of the townspeople was colossal. Any more or less large city had its own temple of Melpomene, regular pilgrimages to which were made by representatives of almost all classes. For those who were richer, there were lodges of 5 shillings (they could be booked in advance); the parterre at that time was not yet called stalls, but just pit(“pit”), had no prestige and was a refuge for a very motley audience, which was united by the presence in the pockets of 3 shillings for a pleasant pastime and a love of entertainment, overcoming the inconvenience of many hours of sitting on wooden benches in an unheated hall; places in the gallery for 1 shilling were quite affordable for artisans, peddlers and apprentices. It was possible to get through at half price: it was enough to arrive at the end of the second act of a three-act play, or the third if the play had five acts.
The doors of the theater opened at five and a quarter. A crowd of eager spectacles stormed first the ticket office, and then auditorium. Not without casualties, of course. It was possible to avoid the risk of losing face in the theatrical pandemonium by hiring a special person who, for a moderate fee, undertook to get you a ticket and a seat in the hall.
Theater tickets early XIX century
Performances began at ten to seven in the evening (at a quarter past seven in winter) and sometimes went on until 5 o'clock. The audience went to the theater not for spiritual food, but for entertainment; theaters, in order to survive, were forced to follow its lead. As a result, a typical theatrical spectacle was a kind of variety show, where the main, "full-length" play was surrounded by one or two "short films", the so-called. masks or pantomime, as well as musical and dance numbers, inserted into place and out of place at every slightest opportunity. The costumes, sets, and stage machinery became increasingly sophisticated and were often advertised as a self-sufficient reason to attend a particular show. By the way, the lights in the hall were not extinguished for better visibility.
The auditorium of the Covent Garden Theatre. Illustration from The Microcosm by Rudolf Ackerman © The British Library
The theater was the same center of city life as a street or a coffee house. Here they conducted business, started intrigues, and, if necessary, defended their opinion with their fists. in 1789 he witnessed a "boxing match" between two ladies sitting in boxes. When the stalls asked them to leave the hall so as not to interfere with the play, the belligerents moved to the foyer, where, surrounded by a crowd of curious people, they continued to tear each other's hair; fortunately, both were wearing well-oiled wigs, so there was a lot of powder flying around, but the curls didn't suffer much.
The spectator, and not the impresario, was the true master of the theater, raising a revolt if the beloved actor suddenly did not appear on the stage, demanding from the comedians to speak louder or even stop the play, even if the presence of the king, if someone in the hall felt bad.
Knowing all this, you will now guess for yourself with what delight the regulars of Covent Garden met the above-mentioned innovations. A crowd of thousands gathered at the theatrical entrance. Of course, not everyone managed to break through inside. Appearing on the stage with a welcoming speech, the director was greeted with applause, but as soon as he spoke, they were replaced by whooping, hissing and hooting, which did not stop even with the appearance on the stage of Sarah Siddons.
Members of the city magistrate arrived at the scene and, according to tradition, solemnly read out to the audience the Law of Rebellion, which declared any companies of 12 or more people illegal and subject to dispersal if they refused to disperse peacefully. In response, the rioters sang "God Save the King" and "Rule Britannia". After that, law enforcement officers said that they were washing their hands, especially since they themselves were not quite sure of the validity of their demands: after all, the protesters had every right to be in the theater - they had bought tickets!
Caricature by Isaac Cruikshank of Covent Garden's price increase
The confrontation between the supporters of the old prices and the theatrical administration took on a protracted and at the same time quite spectacular character. Insurgents to the accompaniment of fast food and other household utensils performed immediately born rebellious songs and dances. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the director, out of desperation, hired boxers to throw the rioters out of the theater. There were arrests; for two and a half months of the uprising, which went down in history as the Old Price Riot, several apprentices, clerks, workers, businessmen and even the count's daughter were taken into custody.
In the end, the Covent Garden administration had to give up. On December 14, a truce was concluded, and in the evening of the next day the director of the theater publicly apologized both for raising prices and for using brute physical force in the face of boxers to restore order. All accusations against the troublemakers that had been brought before were dropped.
In 1843 the monopoly of Covent Garden and Drury Lane came to an end. The struggle for the viewer escalated with renewed vigor. However, now it was not the gallery and not the parterre, which was once close in spirit to it, that set the tone, but the respectable middle class. Thanks to him, the stalls gained their present prestige, and it became customary to watch performances in silence and darkness.
Three years later, the talented composer and conductor Michael Costa moved to Covent Garden from Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, and with him a large part of his opera company. In April 1847, after altering the auditorium, the theater opened under the new sign "Royal Italian Opera". In 1892, with the expansion of the repertoire, it was renamed again, and since then it has been named after the Royal Opera House ( The Royal Opera House). In winter and summer, there were opera and ballet, and in the off-season, if the theater was not closed, films were shown here, dances, lectures and cabaret shows were arranged.
True, all this took place within the walls of another, third building. The second burned down in March 1856. Among others, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert honored the grandiose conflagration with their attention. The new fireproof building, designed by Edward Middleton Barry, was ready in just over two years. Next to the new theater building, Barry built, in imitation of the one he had won a few years earlier, an elegant structure intended for the flower market. At one time, concerts were held here, and then they sold overseas fruits.
Relocated to the south bank of the Thames, the façade of the flower market is now a restaurant
The façade, the foyer and the actual auditorium of the theater have survived to this day, but the rest underwent a radical restructuring in the late 90s. At the same time, the flower market was dismantled, but, fortunately, it was not sent to scrap, but preserved. In 2003, its façade was bought by the administration of the Borough Market on the south bank of the Thames near London Bridge and adorned the restaurant building. Roast.
London is considered the famous cultural capital of Europe and the world. Cultural and theatrical life the city is very rich and diverse. Every year there are premieres of a large number of performances and productions.
The British Opera and Ballet Theatre, located in the Covent Garden area and named after him, was first opened as a drama theatre. A few years after the opening, the premiere of the opera took place on the stage of Covent Garden.
It is now considered the home stage for the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet..
By the way, the Prince of Wales is considered the patron of the Royal Opera, and Queen Elizabeth herself is the patroness of the ballet.
Even before the advent of the Covent Garden theater, London was famous for its other royal theater, Drury Lane, built in the same area as early as 1663.
Theater history
The history of the arena includes several periods of its existence, name changes, as well as several large fires in its buildings.
First theater building on this site was built in early XVIII century thanks to the initiative of the actor, director and administrator D. Rich. Opening of the Covent Theater Garden took place on December 7, 1732 with a production of W. Congreve's play "Thus they do in the world."
Before the start of the performance in honor of the opening, the founder D. Rich was carried into the hall in his arms. Two years after the opening, Pygmalion was staged at Covent Garden. At the same time, operas began to be staged, the first of which was the work music director G.F. Handel's The Faithful Shepherd.
In addition to the first opera, Covent Garden presented other operas of its musical director, one of which was Messiah, an oratorio on religious themes, which later became a theatrical tradition during Lent. In 1808 the building of the first theater burned down.
The new building was built under the direction of R. Smerk in just 9 months and opened on September 18, 1809 with a production of Macbeth. In order to somehow recoup the funds spent on the construction of the building, it was decided to increase ticket prices, but the audience disrupted the performances with clapping, whistling, shouting, so prices had to be returned to their previous level.
At the beginning and mid-nineteenth centuries, not only ballets and operas, but also dramatic performances, pantomime and even clownery were staged on the stage of the theater. When, due to a conflict at Her Majesty's Theatre, part of the troupe moved to Covent Garden, it was decided to reconstruct the hall and change the repertoire. In 1847, the theater was reopened under the name of the Royal Italian Opera.
At this time, performances on stage were going on Italian, regardless of what language they were originally written in.
The opening was marked by the production of Rossini's Semiramide. A few years later, in March 1856, the theater burned down again.
The project of the new building was developed by the architect E.M. Barry, and construction was carried out in 1857-1858. In May 1858, Covent Garden was opened with a production of The Huguenots by J. Meyerbeer.
In 1892, the word "Italian" was removed from the title of the opera, and the performances began to go in the original language. This practice began with the production of G. Mahler's "Ring of the Nibelungen" in German.
During the First World War, a warehouse was located in the arena building. When was the second World War, the hall of the building was used as a ballroom. After the war, in 1946, performances began again in the theater. P this happened due to the fact that the musical Publishing House Boosey & Hawkes bought the building.
On February 20, the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" by P.I. Tchaikovsky directed by O. Messel. At the same time, an opera troupe was created, for which Covent Garden was to become a home venue. In 1947, on January 14, this troupe, called the Covent Garden Opera Company, and then renamed the Royal Opera Company, presented the audience with the opera Carmen by G. Bizet.
Contemporary Covent Garden
Now Covent The Garden is the arena's third built building, having been renovated twice in 1975 and in the 1990s to increase seating and improve appearance arenas.
Many adjacent territories of the old market, the old Flower Hall went to the theater. During the reconstruction, two entrances were organized, which symbolize different eras in the history of Covent Garden.
The most significant productions that went on in the XX on the stage of the Royal Opera House are Elektra, staged in 1910, Boris Godunov with the main part of F. Chaliapin, presented in 1928, “ Queen of Spades”, which premiered in 1961. Since 1995, it has become a tradition to hold the Verdi Festival on the stage of Covent Garden.
The width of the theater proscenium is more than 12 meters, the height is almost 15 meters.. Now Covent Garden has a four-level horseshoe-shaped auditorium that can accommodate more than 2,200 spectators, new acoustic equipment, rehearsal rooms, service rooms, a new studio.
During all performances, titles are projected over the proscenium, and the libretto of the performances can also be broadcast on small screens inserted into the backs of some chairs in the stalls.
Now in the theater, in addition to performances, the prices of which are about 185 English pounds, during the day you can make excursions behind the scenes of the theater. You can learn a lot about the history of Covent Garden, see the theater from the very high point, see the Royal Lounge, which is now intended for the highest persons, get inside the theater and find out how the evening performance is being prepared.
The entire tour will take about an hour and cost around £10-12.
The theater's repertoire this moment the ballets "Giselle", "The Sleeping Beauty", the operas "Manon", "Don Giovanni", "Turandot" are presented. The premieres of the opera productions The Daughter of the Regiment, The Woman Without a Shadow, Faust, La Traviata, and the ballet The Winter's Tale are approaching.
All up-to-date information about the repertoire, involved actors, singers and dancers, you can find on the official website of the theater. There you can also order tickets for the desired production.
Perhaps every self-respecting country should have its own famous theater opera and ballet. France has the Grand Opera, Italy has La Scala, Austria has the Vienna Opera, and the UK has the Theater Royal, Covent Garden. How it was founded, how many times it moved and what famous operas I saw on my stage main theater London, says "Amateur".
Located almost in the center of London modern theater Covent Garden is located, oddly enough, on the former lands of the monastery. The monks set up a garden at this place, which they then abandoned (hence the name). The garden turned into a wasteland where all sorts of rabble lived: beggars, vagabonds, beggars. And the thing is that at the beginning of the Middle Ages, England did not have a capital as such - the kings simply traveled around the country with their court. Until a certain time, Winchester was most like the capital, the state treasury was kept there. At the beginning of the 13th century, the government moved to Westminster (today just a district of London), which was not far from the City of London. The city was a center of commerce, so of course declassed elements were not allowed to live in it. So they evicted to the wasteland all sorts of beggars, and with them also actors.
Covent Garden is located on the former monastery grounds
It was then forbidden to build theaters within the city, but the residents still wanted to have fun. Therefore, the government ordered to establish theaters somewhere near the city, so that the townspeople could easily get there. So they chased two hares and caught both: the actors, without thinking twice, chose the former monastery garden as the place for the new theater. Interestingly, Covent Garden is still considered a theater district: there are 13 theaters in it!
The very first building of the Covent Garden Theater was built in the 20s-30s of the 18th century under the direction of John Rich, famous director and impresario. Opened at the time drama theatre in 1732 with Congreve's play "Secular Customs". Interestingly, before the performance, the actors solemnly carried Rich in their arms into the theater building. After 2 years, Covent Garden hosted the first opera on its stage - Handel's Faithful Shepherd. In the same year, the first ballet was staged at Covent Garden - it was Pygmalion. The lead singer Maria Salle was a real revolutionary at that time, because she allowed herself to go on stage without a corset! One of best traditions The theater began to perform oratorios on the theme of religion during the days of Great Lent after the performance in 1743 of Handel's oratorio "Messiah".
In the Middle Ages, it was forbidden to build theaters within the city
The first theater building burned down in 1808, but was restored in 1809. The opening was celebrated with a production of Macbeth. But the financial situation was difficult, and the theater raised tickets for performances in order to somehow pay for the new building. True, the idea failed, as the audience who came to the performances disrupted the performances with loud shouts and whistles, so prices had to be lowered again.
The 19th century was a busy one for the Covent Garden Theatre. At the beginning of the century, the stage was full of completely different genres, including not only opera and ballet, but also pantomime and even clowning! In 1846, a conflict broke out at Her Majesty's Theatre, as a result of which part of the troupe, led by conductor Michael Costa, moved to the Covent Garden Theatre. In this regard, in 1847 the theater received a new name of the Royal Italian Opera and opened with a production of Rossini's opera Semiramide. But failures simply haunted him: in 1856 Covent Garden burned down again.
During World War I, the theater was used as a warehouse.
The theater management did not lose heart, and in 1858 the newly erected building was opened. It is in this form that the theater has survived to this day. During World War I, the theater was used as a warehouse, and during World War II, the theater was better used - a dance hall was organized in it.
On the stage of Covent Garden, the premieres of the most famous productions often took place. For example, in 1892, the tetralogy "Ring of the Nibelung" was shown here by a Hamburg troupe. Immediately put in 1928 "Boris Godunov" with Fyodor Chaliapin in leading role. In 1961, the opera The Queen of Spades was staged. At the end of the 20th century, they also staged "Dream in midsummer night and Peter Grimes.
Now the auditorium of the theater can accommodate 2200 spectators.
Now the auditorium of the theater can accommodate 2200 spectators! Covent Garden keeps up with the times: a screen hangs over the advance stage, which broadcasts the credits. And in the backs of some chairs there are even screens mounted on which the libretto of the opera going on stage is broadcast! In addition, Convention Garden has powerful patrons: the Royal Opera is patronized by the Prince of Wales, and Royal Theater— Queen Elizabeth II herself!