Description of the attraction
The Bolshoi Theater (Grand Theater) is an opera house in Geneva. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Geneva was heavily influenced by Calvinism, so the first building of an opera house was built in Geneva only in the mid-1760s, and only in the second half of the 19th century, the city council of Geneva began to think about building a luxurious opera house that would correspond to the prestige and status of Geneva. The first stone of the future theater was laid in 1875, and in 1879 the theater opened with a production of Rossini's opera "Wilhelm Tell". The opera building was located between the Conservatory and the Rath Museum and immediately entered the top ten European opera houses. The magnificent façade of the building is decorated with granite columns and marble statues representing Drama, Dance, Music and Comedy, as well as busts of famous composers. The interior decoration was famous not only for its luxurious interiors, but also for the equipment according to the latest technology of the time. In 1905-13. Electricity was installed in the building, gas lighting was also replaced with electric lamps.
In 1951, there was a terrible fire, almost the entire building of the theater burned out, with the exception of the main foyer. The theater was closed for 10 years and reopened only in 1962. Another reconstruction of the stage equipment was carried out in 1997-98. The new auditorium accommodates 1,488 people, and 100 musicians can play in the orchestra pit. At the moment, the Bolshoi Theater in Geneva is the largest theater in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Opera and ballet performances are staged here, concerts are held.
