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Cairo Opera House

Coordinates:30°02′33″N31°13′25″E/ 30.04245°N 31.22353°E/30.04245; 31.22353
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This article is about the Cairo Opera House built in 1988. For its predecessor, seeKhedivial Opera House.

Cairo Opera House
Map
LocationCairo,Egypt
TypeOpera house
Capacity1,200 people
Opened10 October 1988
Website
www.cairoopera.org

TheCairo Opera House(Arabic:دار الأوبرا المصرية,Dār el-Opera el-Masreyya;literally "Egyptian Opera House" ), part ofCairo'sNational Cultural Centre,is the main performing arts venue in theEgyptiancapital. Home to most of Egypt's finest musical groups, it is located on the southern portion ofGezira Islandin theNile River,in theZamalekdistrict neardowntown Cairo.

History[edit]

Theopera housewas inaugurated on 10 October 1988. The funds for the complex were a gift from the nation ofJapantoEgyptas a result ofPresidentHosni Mubarak's visit to Japan in April 1983. Construction began in May 1985 and lasted for three years.[1]

In October 1988, President Mubarak andPrince Tomohito of Mikasa,the younger brother of the Japanese Emperor, inaugurated the National Cultural Centre Cairo Opera House. It was the first time for Japan to stage aKabukishow, a traditional popular drama with singing and dancing, inAfricaor theArab World.

In recognition of the Cairo Opera House, the LondonRoyal Philharmonic Orchestrachose it as a venue for their first performance in the Middle East and Africa in January 2007. TheArabic Oud Housewas created in its premises before moving to a building in the old town.[2]

Khedivial Opera House[edit]

Main article:Khedivial Opera House
TheKhedivial Opera House,in 1869.

In 1869,Khedive Ismailgave instructions to build an opera house to celebrate the opening of theSuez Canal.It was called Khedivial (Royal) Opera House and was meant as a lasting and outstanding symbol of the arts of drama and music. Designed byItalianarchitects Avoscani and Rossi, the opera house was completed in six months, in the center of Cairo near theAzbakeyadistrict.

The Khedive commissioned a performance which would reflect the ancient Egyptian history. French archaeologistAuguste Mariette,in the Khedive's service, wrote a plot which eventually served the respected Italian librettistAntonio Ghislanzonias a basis for hislibretto.Giuseppe Verdiwas appointed to compose the music. The result was the famous opera,Aida,with its heroic quality, powerful dramatic scenes and its passionate music.

Because of delays caused by the Franco-Prussian war, the sets and costumes for the premiere ofAidacould not be transported from Paris in time, and in 1869 the Opera House opened instead withVerdi'sRigoletto,one of Verdi's earlier masterpieces.Aidawould receive its world premiere in Cairo in 1871. Contrary to general belief,Aidawas not commissioned for the inauguration of the Suez Canal.

The Khedivial Opera House was the first on the African continent to perform world famous operas and symphonic masterpieces.

A little over a century later, in the early morning of 28 October 1971, the great Khedivial Royal Opera House was completely destroyed by a fire.

Venues and facilities[edit]

The Cairo Opera Complex consists of seven theaters, a music library, an art gallery and a museum.

The Roman theatre, Alexandria district.
  • The Main Hall seats 1,200 people and has four levels, including orchestra seating, three tiers and a presidential box. It is used for operas and orchestra and ballet performances.[3]
  • The Small Hall seats up to 500 people on a single floor, is used for chamber music and recitals and can double as a very large reception hall for important events.[4]
  • The Open-Air Theatre is an acoustically designed square-shaped stage used for outdoor performances, and seats 600 people.[5]
  • El Gomhouria Theatre is an exquisite theater situated nearAbdeen Royal Palace.It is under the administration of the Cairo Opera House.[6]
  • The Arab Music Institute has state-of-the-art technology and is well-suited to stage authentic Arab music performances.[7]
  • The Alexandria Opera Houseor Sayed Darwish Theatre[8]
  • The Roman theatre, Alexandria which was discovered in 1963, seats up to 800. It features white marble, green marble, red granite and mosaic, arches and stone.[9][10][11]

Resident companies[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Zuhur, Sherifa (1998).Images of Enchantment: Visual and Performing Arts of the Middle East.American Univ in Cairo Press. p. 127.ISBN978-9774244674.
  2. ^"Pierre Cormonconsacre onze semaines par an à apprendre le oud au Caire ".Le Temps.15 July 2004.
  3. ^"Main Hall".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  4. ^"Small Hall".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  5. ^"Open-Air Theatre".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  6. ^"El Gomhouria Theatre".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  7. ^"Arab Music Institute".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  8. ^"The Alexandria Opera House".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  9. ^"The Roman Amphitheatre, Alexandria".Cairo Opera House.Retrieved15 October2016.
  10. ^Adel Awed, Zahraa; Kamel, Seif."The Roman Theatre (Odeum) in Alexandria".Tour Egypt.Retrieved15 October2016.
  11. ^The Mediterranean Medina: International Seminar.School of Architecture at Pescara from 17 to 19 June 2004. 3 January 2016. p. 484.ISBN9788849290134.Retrieved15 October2016.

External links[edit]

30°02′33″N31°13′25″E/ 30.04245°N 31.22353°E/30.04245; 31.22353

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