How The Greek National Opera Was Founded?

The early years of the Greek National Opera

In 1939, the journalist and writer K. Bastias moved the threads in order to create for the first time in Greece the space that will house opera and operetta performances, honoring the Greek Melodrama that had flourished in the last 150 years on the Ionian Islands.

The troupe that was formed began to give performances in the neoclassical theater of the Royal Theatre, on Agios Konstantinou Street in the center of Athens. In addition to opera and operetta, the protagonists of the troupe also included dance in their performances. The beginning of their artistic activity was with the operetta Bat and as their first opera they chose Madama Butterfly by Puccini. In this troupe, Maria Kalogeropoulou, better known as Maria Callas, began her sensational artistic career, performing from the beginning leading roles of great composers such as Puccini, Beethoven and Kalomiris.

Shortly before the Liberation, the troupe asked to become independent from the Royal Theater and after the relevant procedures, the National Opera was founded. The first theater that housed her artistic activity was the Olympia Theater, directed by Manolis Kalomiris.

Since then the course of the National Opera has been brilliant, with a multi-layered work, with a large repertoire and vision. However, her course was interrupted in 1967 by the Dictatorship, where during those seven years she presented her work mainly in the city of Thessaloniki.

The difficult years for the country that followed also shook the smooth and productive operation of the National Opera. Since 2017, however, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center has been the new home of the Lyric stage and since then its work has been representative of its vision and potential.

International Opera Theatres

Since the birth of the musical genre called opera took place in Italy, Europe, it is no wonder that the term “opera theater” is also european bread. Some of the most significant ones are located in Europe. Every year thousands of people around the world gather in order to have the unique experience of an authentic, historical opera theater.

Teatro Comunale in Bologna

The Bologna Opera House is one of the leading theaters in Italy and one of the oldest. It is a striking example of 18th century baroque architecture. Located in the heart of Bologna’s historic district, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna features opera, music and symphony performances.

Teatro Massimo in Palermo

The Teatro Massimo in Palermo is the first opera theatre in Sicily, as well as one of the best in Europe. Its opening in 1897 marked the beginning of Palermo's belle era. The concerts of the year include opera, ballet and music.

Teatro Regio di Parma

Built in 1829, the neoclassical opera theatre of Parma is rich in gold and stucco. The theater has opera, dance and theater performances as well as concerts and special events.

Teatro Verdi in Pisa

The Teatro Verdi in Pisa is one of the most beautiful theaters in central Italy. The amphitheater has some 900 seats, and was inaugurated in the 19th century. It has a beautiful mural and today houses opera, dance and theatrical performances.

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Ballet, The Elit Of Dance

Ballet, or classical dance, was born in Italy in the 15th century but evolved and became established in France and Russia. Its name comes from the Italian word ballare (ballet), which means "I dance".

 In the initial stages, the ballet took place in large halls without sets and with the spectators sitting around the perimeter of the space (stage). Since then the genre has been established in dance of high technical requirements and special terminology.

The music that invests in ballet comes mainly from classical music and that is why many composers have composed music especially for this reason. Ballet is now taught in schools around the world, has high demands and requires special dedication from the dancer. The dance is composed and determined by its strict and airy steps and movements and the dancer along with the technique must develop and evolve the acting and the mimetic. Classical ballet belongs to the elite of the arts and requires many years of practice and painstaking effort to reach a professional level.

The species first appeared in the late 15th century during the Italian Renaissance but flourished in the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV as the main entertainment style of the Courtyard. This also explains why the majority of the terminology used consists of French words. Initially the roles were performed by male dancers, who disguised themselves as women in order to embody the female roles.

In the 18th century Jean Georges Noverre laid the basic principles of ballet d’action. Since then the performances begin to look like theatrical works with musical accompaniment and sets.

In our country, great performances of classical ballet can be enjoyed on the National Opera under the auspices of important organizations and cared for by exceptional and renowned artists and representatives of the genre.

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