The most famous composers in history have presented their works in them. They amaze us with their architecture, art and prestige. Here are 7 of the most important theaters in the world.

La Scala, Milan

The official name of this famous Italian theater is Teatro alla Scala, and it comes from the name of Princess Beatrice Regina della Scala, wife of Prince Bernabo Visconti. The duke was the founder of the 14th-century church of Santa Maria alla Scala, which was located on the square where the opera house now stands.

The first play was staged here on August 3, 1778, and it was “Europa riconosciuta” by Antonio Salieri. The Milan theater is one of the largest in the world, seating more than 3,000 people in the audience. 

Metropolitan Opera House, New York

Since its opening on October 22, 1883, for a long time this world’s largest opera house (with an auditorium of almost 3800 seats) was located on the famous Broadway, between 39th and 40th Streets. Since 1966, its headquarters have been located in the Lincoln Center complex (The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts). The first play produced at the Metropolitan Opera House was Charles Gounod’s “Faust: an opera in five acts”. 

Royal Opera House, London

The Royal Opera House, also known as Covent Garden, is the oldest theater in Britain. It opened on December 7, 1732, and the first play performed was “The way of the world” by William Congreve. From 1734 to 1737, the famous German composer Georg Friedrich Händel was associated with the British theater, and he and his ensemble performed their plays here.

Vienna State Opera

The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the world’s most important opera houses, where artists such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner have staged their plays. The opera began on May 25, 1869, with the staging of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

The opera house opened as the Vienna Court Opera (Wiener Hofoper), with Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria attending the ceremony. The current name has been in use since the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1921.

Sydney Opera House

The distinctive Sydney Opera House is one of the most photographed buildings in the world. It was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon. Its opening took place on October 20, 1973. 

The building contains several performance halls, which together host more than 1,500 performances a year. More than 1.2 million spectators come to the Sydney Opera House each year.

Opéra Garnier, Paris

Housed in the Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera House seats more than 2,000 spectators and is considered a symbol of Paris right next to Notre Dame Cathedral. This striking eclectic edifice was built in the 1870s and designed by Charles Garnier.

The opera house officially opened with an orchestral concert on January 5, 1875, and the first opera was staged there three days later and it was “La Juive” by Fromental Halévy.

Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow

This historic theater is the home of Russian ballet and opera. It was founded in 1776 by Prince Peter Urussov and Mikhail Yegorovich Maddox. The first performances were mainly held at the residence of Count Vorontsov, and in 1780 they were moved to the Petrovka theater. 

The inaugural play of the Bolshoi Theater in the current building located on Theater Square took place on January 18, 1825. The prologue “Triumph of the Muses” and the ballet “Cinderella” by Fernando Sora were performed then. 

main photo: unsplash.com/Gwen King