Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Rio's 1909 opera house in Cinelândia, home to its resident orchestra, chorus and ballet company.
Rio de Janeiro's principal opera house stands on Praça Floriano at the heart of the Cinelândia district, its eclectic façade modelled loosely on the Paris Opéra. Designed by Francisco de Oliveira Passos with the French architect Albert Guilbert, it was built between 1905 and 1909 as part of the sweeping remodelling of the city centre, and was inaugurated on 14 July 1909. The structure rests on more than a thousand timber piles driven into waterlogged ground close to the bay.
Inside, the horseshoe auditorium seats around 2,200 across stalls and four tiers, beneath a painted ceiling and a celebrated stage curtain by Eliseu Visconti. Sculpture by Rodolfo and Henrique Bernardelli, marble staircases and stained glass fill the foyers, while the basement holds a room decorated in Assyrian revival style. The theatre houses its own symphony orchestra, chorus and ballet company, and presents opera, dance and concert seasons; guided tours introduce visitors to the auditorium and public rooms.
Highlights
- Eclectic 1909 façade inspired by the Paris Opéra, on Praça Floriano in Cinelândia
- Horseshoe auditorium seating about 2,200 over stalls and four tiers
- Stage curtain and ceiling paintings by Eliseu Visconti and Rodolfo Amoedo
- Resident symphony orchestra, chorus and ballet company
