The Teatro Quirino is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

opened in 1871. It hosted the premiere of Pietro Mascagni's operetta '' Sì''. Its historical name has been joined by the recognition for one of the most acclaimed Italian theatrical actors of the twentieth century,

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions ...

. The full name of the theater is, in fact, Teatro Quirino - Vittorio Gassman. It is located in the Trevi district. From July 2014, management passed to a private company made up of sector operators whose CEO is Rosario Coppolino; Artistic consultants are Geppy Gleijeses and Guglielmo Ferro.

History

The

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

was built in 1871 at the behest of Prince Maffeo Barberini Colonna di Sciarra, who decided to entrust the project to the architect Giulio De Angelis, assisted by his colleague Francesco Marra (or Morra). The place chosen was inside the Sciarra Colonna palace, owned by the prince, with the main entrance from Via del Corso and extended up to the Trevi fountain. Taking advantage of the loss of the city by the

Papal State The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

, the organization of theatrical performances was no longer subject to any kind of limitation: Prince Maffeo thought of building a public theater building, in order to start a profitable business. Conceived entirely of wood, it was erected in a single day. There were mainly represented

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

s, however addressed to an audience of the middle bourgeois class. The name of the theater, Quirino, recalled the

toponymy Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

and

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

ology of Rome, linking itself to the name of the hill (the

Quirinal The Quirinal Hill (; la, Collis Quirinalis; it, Quirinale ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian head of state, who resides in the Quirinal Palace ...

) and to the god

Quirinus In Roman mythology and religion, Quirinus ( , ) is an early god of the Roman state. In Augustan Rome, ''Quirinus'' was also an epithet of Janus, as ''Janus Quirinus''. Name Attestations The name of god Quirinus is recorded across Roman sourc ...

. Due to the need to create a communication artery between via del Corso and the Trevi fountain, in 1882 it was necessary to dismantle the wooden structure and to rebuild the theater in masonry a few meters away from the original location: the project, again entrusted to De Angelis, he donated a horseshoe-shaped hall and two tiers of boxes to the theater: the structure was metal, adorned with neoclassical cast iron

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s. In 1898, upon completion of the works, the interiors of the theater were richly decorated with drapes, velvets and gilded stuccos, creating an elegant and cozy atmosphere. The production changed, bringing

and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

inside the Quirino. In 1914, Marcello Piacentini changed the face of the theater, bringing the aesthetic line closer to the future architectural

rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...

. A third tier of boxes was added (thanks to the lowering of the stalls) and a sunroof was built. Piacentini, however, also substantially modified the interiors but only with a second intervention, in 1954, where he left the external airspace of the building unchanged, but also obtained space for the offices of the Italian Theater Organization, which had taken direct management of it since 1946. The boxes were almost all eliminated to give way to

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...

ed tiers, increasing the total capacity of the theater to 990 seats: the theater was adapted to the new regulations for safety in the field of theaters and equipped with new stage, ventilation and

heating system A heating system is a mechanism for maintaining temperatures at an acceptable level; by using thermal energy within a home, office, or other dwelling. Often part of an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system. A heating system may be a ...

s. In addition, a canopy was built that still exists today, typical of buildings for entertainment. The inauguration of the renovated theater took place on 13 October 1955. From July 2009 to June 2014 it was directed by Geppy Gleijeses.

Events and representations

Among the most famous conductors of the 19th century who conducted at the Quirino Theater, there is M ° Antonino Palminteri, present on the podium in June 1899, staging works such as: I Lombardi by

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

, Manon Lescaut, by

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...

. The results of the performances were excellent and highly appreciated.

References

External links

* {{authority control Opera houses in Rome Music venues completed in 1871 Theatres completed in 1871 Rome R. II Trevi