Opera born in Rome
Opera premiered in Rome: Tosca and more
Which operas first reached the stage in Rome, from Rossini's Barber of Seville to Cavalleria rusticana and Tosca, and why that matters for an arias concert.
Reserve seats for the arias ↗Quick answer
Several of Italian opera's best-known works had their first performances in Rome: Rossini's Barber of Seville at the Teatro Argentina in 1816, Verdi's Il trovatore at the Teatro Apollo in 1853, and Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana and Puccini's Tosca at the Teatro Costanzi in 1890 and 1900. Tosca is also set in Rome, so its arias belong to the city twice over.
The Teatro Costanzi
The theatre now called the Teatro dell'Opera opened as the Teatro Costanzi on 27 November 1880 with Rossini's Semiramide. It was financed by the contractor Domenico Costanzi and designed by the Milanese architect Achille Sfondrini. In November 1926 the Rome City Council bought it and renamed it the Teatro Reale dell'Opera; after the end of the monarchy it became the Teatro dell'Opera, although the Costanzi name is still the name of the main auditorium. Two famous operas had their first performances here, ten years apart. Its address today is Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 1.
Cavalleria rusticana, 1890
In July 1888 the music publisher Edoardo Sonzogno announced a competition for young Italian composers who had not yet had an opera staged. Mascagni's one-act Cavalleria rusticana was one of three finalists, chosen on 5 March 1890, and it opened at the Teatro Costanzi on 17 May 1890. The libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci adapts a story by Giovanni Verga, and the opera is counted among the classics of verismo. Its orchestral Intermezzo, played while the village square stands empty, became so popular that it was adapted into an Ave Maria. The Intermezzo also appears in the soundtrack of Raging Bull and in the finale of The Godfather Part III.
Tosca, 1900
Puccini's Tosca had its first performance at the Teatro Costanzi on 14 January 1900. The libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa adapts Victorien Sardou's 1887 play La Tosca. The story is set in Rome in June 1800. Act 1 takes place inside the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, Act 2 in Scarpia's rooms in the Palazzo Farnese, and Act 3 on the upper levels of the Castel Sant'Angelo, early the next morning. Vissi d'arte is sung by Tosca, a soprano, in Act 2, and E lucevan le stelle by Cavaradossi, a tenor, in Act 3. In June 1800, the date of the story, Napoleon's invasion of Italy threatened the control the Kingdom of Naples held over the city.
Rossini and Verdi at the Argentina and the Apollo
The Teatro Argentina, on Largo di Torre Argentina, was inaugurated on 31 January 1732 with Domenico Sarro's Berenice. Rossini's The Barber of Seville had its first performance there on 20 February 1816, and Verdi's I due Foscari followed on 3 November 1844 and La battaglia di Legnano on 27 January 1849. Verdi's Il trovatore premiered at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 19 January 1853, with a libretto largely by Salvadore Cammarano. In a city with this record, a concert of Italian arias is a local habit.
What this means for the concert
The arias concert is a small evening in a church, not a night at one of these theatres, and the organiser's programme changes by date. Even so, the repertoire it draws on is closely tied to Rome. The booking page names Puccini and Mascagni among its composers, and the two operas that opened at the Costanzi belong to those two men. Reading the story behind an aria before you hear it adds a layer to the evening, and the arias page on this site sets six of them out with their acts and singers.
Opera in Rome today
The Teatro dell'Opera is the Costanzi's successor and keeps its own programme, separate from the church concert described on this site. The theatre stands at Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 1, and has carried its present name since the end of the monarchy. A concert of arias and a night at the opera house answer different wishes, so treat them as two evenings rather than as rivals.
Frequently asked questions
Was Tosca first performed in Rome?
Yes. Its first performance was on 14 January 1900 at Rome's Teatro Costanzi, and the story itself is set in Rome in June 1800.
Is the Teatro Costanzi the same as the opera house?
Yes. It is the original name of the Teatro dell'Opera, and the Costanzi name is still the name of the main auditorium.
Does the arias concert take place there?
No. It is held in a small Waldensian church near Piazza Venezia, not in the opera house.
Where are the three acts of Tosca set?
Act 1 is inside the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, Act 2 in Scarpia's rooms in the Palazzo Farnese and Act 3 on the upper levels of the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Where was Il trovatore first performed?
At the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 19 January 1853, with a libretto largely by Salvadore Cammarano.
Sources