Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre – Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre is situated on the Rustaveli Avenue, in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is the oldest opera house in Georgia. Tbilisi opera hosted opera stars such as Montserrat Caballé, Jose Carreras, held performances of world famous choreographer George Balanchine, and composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

The 1990s unrest and destabilization in Georgia had a great effect on Tbilisi opera theater just like on many other theaters in the country. Government could not provide enough money and resources for theaters’ functioning:creation of new decorations,clothes,supporting artists and taking care of already vulnerable building.

At the beginning there were problems with heating and electicity and although these problems were resolved shortly after, many others remained.It lasted until the Rose Revolution when the newly elected government started thinking about improving the situation in opera and cultural field in general.

Foundation of the Theater

Tbilisi State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet is a symbol of the many-centuries original culture of Georgia. Foundation of the opera theatre in Georgia was the reflection and continuation of those general political and cultural processes, which involved the country after its annexation by the Russian Empire. These processes proved to be very fruitful in the aspect of the cultural life and activation of the national and educational movements. The Chief Governor of the Caucasus, appointed in Georgia in 1844, the general,field marshal and diplomat Mikhail Vorontsov has laid foundations of many cultural enterprises. Amongst the the most important was introduction of the interest with the genre of opera in Georgia. The first team has started spectacles since the 20th September 1845. Representations were carried out twice a week and they were mainly composed of vaudevilles and comedies. Vorontsov has invited artists from the Empire Theatre, too. Afterwards representations were translated into the Georgian language, too.

At this time there were going on constructions of the permanent opera theatre in Tbilisi. With the initiative of Vorontsov on 15th April 1847 there were laid the foundations of the building of the opera theatre, which lasted 4 years under the guidance of the Italian Architect, Antonio Scudieri and ended in 1851. The theatre was built on the central square of the city of Tbilisi (the modern Liberty Square, the territory next to the municipality). Under the conditions of very “motley” (from the musical point of view) town folklore, the Tbilisi opera theatre has become an important hearth of the cultural life of the country. The first opera theatre in the whole Transcaucasus, which held 800 spectators, stood out by its façade and inner interior, by its architectural shape amongst the European theatres of those times.

Opening and the first Performances

On the 12th April 1851 the theatre was opened with a grandiose banquet, which was attended by the high circles of the society of Tbilisi. After several months from this event in one of the popular Parisian newspaper, ‘Illustrations’ (issue of 25th October 1851) there was printed a large article by Edmond de Bares with two pictures of the inner view of the theatre. The author wrote: ‘This is the only theatre in the city, the interior of which is totally made in Moresque, is doubtlessly one of the most elegant, beautiful and fascinating theatrical constructions, the perception of which is possible by a human being’. In spring of 1851 an Italian opera group was invited to Tbilisi under the conductorship of Barbieri, then very famous conductor, who performed twelve opera performances during three months. In this connection the orchestra was enriched with new instruments, notes. Foreign orchestra performers have come to Tbilisi and some of them have settled here. On 9th November 1851 the first theatrical season was opened in Tbilisi. There was staged ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ by Gaetano Donizetti. After the graduation of the spectacle, which had a grandiose success, the hosts lead the Barbieri’s group and the society, collected in the evening in the opera, to the left bank of Kura river. The spectacle that grew into the public feast, was displaced directly onto the river , where people on ferries feasted the opening of opera in Tbilisi during the whole night.

Technical Information

• Name: Tbilisi Academic Opera and Ballet Theater
• Type: Performance venue
• Architectural Style: pseudo-Moresque
• Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
• Owner: Municipality of Tbilisi
• Completed: 1896
• Demolished: Fire in 1874
• Architect: Antonio Scudieri, Schreter.

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