Rafael Kubelik
The current performing arts center that serves as the home of The Royal Opera-as well as The Royal Ballet and The Royal Orchestra-is actually the third edifice of its kind on this site in central London, one that is colloquially known as Covent Garden. The surrounding district also hosts a large selection of upscale shops in an open-air market setting. The first performance to be held on this site, a ballet, took place in 1734. The composer G.F. Handel produced an entire season of operas and oratorios during the following year. This first structure was eventually destroyed by fire in 1808, and another conflagration in 1857 leveled its successor. The current building boasts a façade, auditorium and foyer from the third reconstruction [1858], but the rest of the complex was remodeled extensively during the last decade of the 20th century.
Handel's presence in London at the behest of the monarchy-King George II was one of the composer's patrons back in Germany prior to his ascension to the British throne-provided audiences with an opportunity to be the first to hear many of his operas. Among the operas that premiered at the Royal Opera House in his first few years as music director were Alcina, Atalanta, and Ariodante, plus his oratorio Messiah. In addition to opera, the house also served as an important venue for ballet, theatrical dramas, pantomimes, and comedy acts, usually performed by clowns. Throughout the 1800s, a number of European composers-notables such as Rossini, Verdi and Puccini-came to London to oversee the first British production of their respective operas.
The name "Royal Opera House" did not accrue to the building until 1892. There were strictly delineated winter and summer seasons for operas; during the dark months, the theater remained inactive or was leased out for dances, lectures, and the like. The British government commandeered the main auditorium during WWI as a furniture storage facility, and the Second World War saw it put into use as a dance hall. Following the war, the opera house was restored to its former purpose; the inaugural post-war production [1946] was the ballet Sleeping Beauty, starring Margot Fonteyn. The following year saw the resident company present its first-ever production of Bizet's opera, Carmen.
Badly in need of a facelift, management took advantage of the newly created National Lottery and its pledge to use some of its profits toward worthwhile arts programs throughout the U.K. Around a third of the cost to rebuild the Royal Opera House-nearly £60 million out of £178 million-was applied to the project from this source. The balance of funds came from corporate donations, private individuals, and government grants. The reconstruction process added modern rehearsal facilities, a secondary auditorium (Linbury Studio Theatre) to provide a cozy setting for smaller productions, and a complete makeover for the public areas that included drinking and dining options. The current Royal Opera House holds 2,268 seats in its auditorium, configured into main floor seating plus four levels of boxes and balconies.
The Royal Opera-a charter signed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 granted the organization the right to use this name-is ranked among the top opera companies in the world, arguably equal in stature to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, and Opera de Paris. Music directors since the end of WWII have included some major personalities in the world of classical music, such as Rafael Kubelik [1955-58], George Solti [1961- 1], and Colin Davis [1971-87]. Maestro Lorin Maazel saw his opera, 1984, debuted in this house.
Paul Siegel has been writing about opera and classical music for more than 20 years. In addition to being a regular contributor to various Internet sites, he also writes concert reviews and feature stories on these topics for a monthly music magazine published in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. You can read more of Paul's articles on classical music and opera on his blog at http://www.musicweblog.co.uk
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