The Bucharest National Opera celebrates 60 years of existence

On January 9, the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of its present building is celebrated at the Bucharest National Opera (ONB) with a concert held in the Yellow Foyer, which will feature opera and ballet works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Giuseppe Verdi.

The anniversary concert will include fragments of the operas “The Queen of Spades” and “Eugene Onegin” by de Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, “La Traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi and from other famous works of the genre.

“The Queen of Spades” was chosen because it was the first opera staged in the 1953-1954 season, after the inauguration of the present building of the Bucharest National Opera. The other works, alongside the ballet “Coppelia” by Leo Delibes, are among the works that have been offered in new directing variants during the first seasons of the ONB in the new building.

Founded in 1885, the Romanian lyrical company of Bucharest, which became a state theatre in 1921, did not have until 9 January 1954 a place suitable to the genres of performances it was staging. The real grand opening celebration of the Bucharest National Opera took place in the evening of 9 January 1954, with the gala performances of “The Queen of Spades” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, followed by a second performance (for the wide public) on January 12. The orchestra was conducted by master Egizio Massini, the director was Vladimir G. Tchukov, the scenography was signed by Walter Siegfried and Cella Voinescu, the choir was conducted by Gheorghe Kulibin and the choreography was signed by Anton Romanovski. Also, on 10 January 1954, the ballet of the Opera House had its own opening show: “Coppelia” by Leo Delibes, with Anton Romanovski and Oleg Danovski as choreographers, M. Rubinger and Mac Constantinescu signing the scenography, and Robert Rosensteck conducting the orchestra. The show ran in the matinee, while in the evening the public was invited for a recital of opera and ballet.

Oana Vasiliu

As a matter of fact, before the opening of the 1953-1954 season, under the directorate of famous conductor Constantin Silvestri, the ONB team was featuring 73 opera singers, a ballet of 96 dancers, a choir of 96 singers and an orchestra of 99 musicians.