London: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Country: England, United Kingdom
City: London
Borough: City of Westminster
Location: Bow Street / Covent Garden

[1st theatre on the site built 1732 as "Theatre Royal Covent Garden". 2nd theatre built 1809. 1847 renamed "Royal Italian Opera". Destroyed by a fire in 1856.]

Present theatre built 1857-1858 as "Royal Italian Opera" by Edward M. Barry. Opened 15 May 1858 with Meyerbeer's "Les Huguenots". 1892 renamed "Royal Opera". 1899-1902 rebuilding of stagehouse by E. O. Sachs. 1939 renamed "Royal Opera House, Covent Garden". Several minor changes of auditorium from 1955 to 1992. 1982 addition of rehearsal and dressing rooms and conversion of E. M. Barry's 1860 Floral Hall into a foyer by Gollins, Melvin and Ward. 1997-1999 major refurbishment of auditorium, construction of a new stagehouse, addition of new buildings. Floral Hall renamed Vilar Floral Hall in honour of the opera sponsor, Alberto Vilar (re-renamed "Floral Hall" in 2005). Re-opened 6 Dec 1999 with Verdi's "Falstaff". The Royal Opera House is used by the resident "Royal Opera" and "Royal Ballet" companies. 2268 seats.

Notable world premieres:

  • Julius Benedict: The Lily of Killarney (8 Feb 1862)
  • Arthur Sullivan: Ivanhoe (31 Jan 1891)
  • Jules Massenet: La Navarraise (2 June 1894)
  • Charles V. Stanford: Much ado about Nothing (30 May 1901)
  • Franco Leoni: L'oracolo (28 June 1905)
  • Claude Debussy: L'Enfant prodigue (staged premiere, 28 Feb 1910)
  • Gustav Holst: The Perfect Fool (14 May 1923)
  • Eugène Goossens: Judith (25 June 1929)
  • Arthus Bliss: The Olympians (29 Sep 1949)
  • Benjamin Britten: Billy Budd (1 Dec 1951)
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Pilgrim's Progress (26 Apr 1951)
  • Benjamin Britten: Gloriana (8 June 1953)
  • William Walton: Troilus and Cressida (3 Dec 1954)
  • Michael Tippett: Midsummer Marriage (21 Jan 1955)
  • Michael Tippett: The Knot Garden (2 Dec 1970)
  • Peter Maxwell Davies: Taverner (12 July 1972)
  • Benjamin Britten: Owen Wingrave (staged premiere, 10 May 1973)
  • Hans Werner Henze: We Come to the River (1976)
  • Michael Tippett: The Ice Break (7 July 1977)
  • John Taverner: Therese (1979)
  • Harrison Birtwistle: Gawain (1991)

Links: www.roh.org.uk, Theatres Trust, EUTA, Wikipedia

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "Covent Garden Theatre, London"
Publisher: E. F. A. London Theatre Series; No. 1004
Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "Covent Garden Theatre, London"
Type: Real Photo
Size: Classic
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Picture: audience including King Edward VII at the gala performance during the state visit of the French president, Emile Loubet, in 1903 (see also a larger scan at Wikimedia Commons)
Front Text: "La visite du président de la République à Londres en Juillet, 1903, Représentationsentation de Gala à l'Opéra de Covent Garden""
Publisher: Raphael Tuck et Fils, Paris
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from France to Saint-Paul-en-Jarret, 1904

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Collectible Card
Picture: Royal Opera House; scene from Ponchielli's "La Gioconda"
Front Text: "Londres 'Covent Garden'", "La 'Joconde' de Ponchielli au 'Covent Garden'
Publisher: Liebig; Series S1163 "Théâtres d'opéra renommés"; 1924
Size: 11 x 7 cm

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "Royal Opera House Covent Garden"
Publisher: Photo Reg. Wilson; 0130
Type: Blank Back; probably not intended for postal use
Size: Classic
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "The Royal Family at Covent Garden, 1950"
Publisher: Prescott & Pickup Co.; Sovereign Pictorial; Series No. 2; 30 Years E II R; No. 8
Type: Divided Back; ca. 1982 postcard of a 1950 photograph
Size: Classic
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Built in 1858 by Edward Barry on the site of an old convent garden, from which the name Covent Garden is derived. Two earlier theatres on the same site, built in 1725 and 1809, were both destroyed by fire."
Publisher: Young's Photo Reproductions, London; GERard 384
Size: 20.8 x 14.6 cm
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "Royal Opera House"
Reverse Text: "London Landmarks (The Royal Opera House). Reproduced from a stamp designed by Sir Hugh Casson KVCO PRA and issued by the Post Office on the 7 May 1980 - price 8 1/2 p"
Publisher: Post Office Picture Card Series PHQ 43
Type: Maximum Card with First Day Postmark (7 May 1980)
Size: Modern

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, built in 1858 by Edward Barry on the site of an old convent garden, from which the name Covent Garden is derived. Two earlier theatres on the same site, built in 1732 and 1809, were both destroyed by fire."
Publisher: Woodmansterne Publications, Watford; 0101
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Grand Staircase, built in 1858 by Edward Barry on the site of an old convent garden, from which the name Covent Garden is derived."
Publisher: Woodmansterne Publications, Watford
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "Off to the Opera", signed: Jake Sutton
Reverse Text: "Off To The Opera by Jake Sutton, 1985"
Publisher: Camden Graphics, London; PC 921
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "London, Covent Garden"
Reverse Text: "Covent Garden Opera House, London - Local people and visitors from abroad have enjoyed the delights of opera in this historic building over many years."
Publisher: Capital Cards; 32-04-126
Size: 18.9 x 13.0 cm
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "The restoration of the auditorium, 1998. Watercolour by Glynn Boyd Harte: one of a series of paintings recording the development of the Royal Opera House, 1997-1999. 570mm x 765 mm"
Publisher: Royal Opera House
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Royal Opera House redevelopment - North Piazza Arcade"
Publisher: Royal Opera House
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Exterior of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden"
Publisher: Royal Opera House
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Auditorium of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden"
Publisher: Royal Opera House
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Interior of the Vilar Floral Hall, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden"
Publisher: Royal Opera House
Size: Modern
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Fish-eye view of the Dome, Frieze and Tiers of the Royal Opera House Auditorium"
Publisher: Royal Opera House
Type: folded greeting card
Size: 15 x 15 cm (folded)
Not sent.

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Reverse Text: "Lovely London, 'Royal Opera House', Steph Dekker"
Publisher: Tula Moon; LLON7
Type: folded greeting card
Size: 15.0 x 10.5 cm (folded)

London: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Front Text: "Royal Opera House, London"
Publisher: Ice Cream at the Interval / Etsy; 2021
Size: Modern
Not sent.

For another picture of this theatre, see London: "The Theatres of London".

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