Teatre Principal, Barcelona , April 16 , 1876
The first performance of Aida in Barcelona was on April 16, 1876 at the Teatro Principal. The premiere at the rival theater, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, was months later, on February 25, 1877.
For decades, Barcelona lived a true operatic passion divided between two worlds.
Two theaters, two audiences, two ways of understanding society and prestige: the historic Teatro Principal and the young, modern, and dazzling Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The Principal was the ancient, venerable temple, steeped in centuries of music. Its gilded boxes, warm chandeliers, and intimate atmosphere had witnessed the birth of opera in Spain. There, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini had first reached Spanish audiences. For many Barcelona families, going to the Principal was not just attending a performance: it was continuing a tradition inherited from generations.
But when the Liceu opened its doors, everything changed.
Larger, more lavish, with spectacular halls and dazzling architecture, the Liceu quickly became the place to be. The upper industrial bourgeoisie, the nouveau riche, and the most ostentatious members of the aristocracy began to favor it. There, one could see and be seen.
In the cafés of La Rambla and in private salons, the conversation was:
— “Are you going to the Liceu tonight?”
— “Of course, the Principal is a thing of the past…”
And yet, the past lived on.
Because the Teatro Principal still possessed something the Liceu couldn't buy: history, musical prestige, and an incomparable operatic tradition.
For years, the two societies coexisted almost like two opposing camps. There were the Principal's loyal patrons—lovers of pure opera, of memory, of art—and the new devotees of the Liceu—seduced by the social glamour, the grand spaces, and the modernity.
And then came the night that no one would ever forget.
The night of Aida.
Verdi was already the most admired composer in Europe, and Aida was considered the grandest opera ever created: monumental, exotic, profoundly human, and musically sublime. Everything indicated that its Barcelona premiere should take place at the Liceu, the theater favored by the elegant society of those years.
But the unthinkable happened.
It was the Teatro Principal that secured the premiere.
That decision was almost a historical provocation.
Imagine the city buzzing with rumors. Carriages gliding along La Rambla. Ladies in silk and lace gowns, gentlemen in tailcoats, some proud to be at the Principal, others displeased at not being at the Liceu.
"How is it possible that Aida isn't premiering at the Liceu?"
"Because the Principal remains the true opera house," its defenders responded.
And when the lights of the grand gilded auditorium rose, when the enormous chandelier illuminated the red boxes filled with an elegant audience, the Teatro Principal reclaimed its crown for one night—and forever.
From the stage, the theater must have seemed like a living palace: tiered floors of gold and velvet, attentive faces, eyes shining with emotion. Not overcrowded, but brimming with refined life, allowing one to appreciate every box, every architectural detail.
And then the first notes of Aida rang out.
Barcelona understood that it was witnessing history.
The Liceu could be bigger.
It could be more modern.
But the Teatro Principal had just proven that it was still the operatic heart of the city.
Later would come Wagner, the great international singers, Adelina Patti, Tamberlick… but that night of Aida was etched in memory as a glorious victory of the old theater over its younger rival.
Over the years, the balance slowly tipped toward the Liceu. Elegant society eventually transformed it into Barcelona's grand operatic temple, while the Principal gradually lost its prominence until it became a theater of spoken dialogue.
But no one could erase its legacy.
Opera in Spain was born there.
There, Mozart's music was first heard. There, Verdi triumphantly entered with his most legendary work.
And although the theater no longer exists as it once did, its spirit lives on in photographs, memories, and these recreated images that allow us to relive those magical nights.
Nights of music, rivalry, elegance, and passion.
Nights in which Barcelona's operatic history was decided between two theaters…
and in which the old Teatro Principal, at least once, shone as the greatest of them all.
The Teatre Principal of Barcelona possesses a fascinating and extraordinarily long history. It is not only the oldest theatre in Barcelona, but the oldest in all of Spain, and one of the oldest in Europe and even in the world.
Let us focus especially on its operatic life — the aspect that fascinates me the most — and on its famous rivalry with its neighbour, the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
Briefly, let us recall its origins. Construction began in 1596, and shortly afterwards artistic life already flourished on La Rambla within this historic building. For centuries it stood as the great cultural heart of the city.
But let us move forward in time — to the era when the Teatro Principal was the true operatic centre of Barcelona.
From 1735 onward, the theatre regularly hosted opera and ballet performances. As the most important and largest theatre in the city at the time, all major operatic premieres in Barcelona — and often in Spain itself — took place here.
Mozart’s Così fan tutte was heard for the first time in Spain in this very theatre, long before reaching Valencia or Madrid. And so it was with countless new works arriving from France, Italy, and Germany.
Rossini was heard here shortly after his operas triumphed in Italy. His famous The Barber of Seville was performed for the first time in Barcelona at the Teatro Principal in 1819, along with many of his other operas.
Mercadante — sadly almost forgotten today — was extremely popular throughout Europe in those years. His opera Elisa e Claudio was premiered here with tremendous success, followed by many more of his works.
Donizetti could not be absent from this glorious story. His first opera heard here was L’ajo nell’imbarazzo in 1828.
Bellini followed shortly after, in 1830, with Bianca e Fernando.
One must especially highlight Anna Bolena, Donizetti’s masterpiece, which was performed here in 1835 with enormous success. This very opera would later be chosen, twelve years afterward, to inaugurate the new rival theatre — the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
On April 17, the Liceu opened its doors with Anna Bolena, conducted by Marià Obiols and featuring a distinguished cast led by Giovanna Rossi-Caccia — a Catalan singer of Italian mother who was greatly admired at the time — alongside Carlotta Maironi, Manuel Renou, and Andrea Castellan.
It was a magnificent social event — and the beginning of a delicate rivalry.
Barcelona now had two great opera houses: the Teatro Principal and the Liceu.
The Liceu was larger, more dazzling, more spectacular — with greater capacity, more boxes, grand salons, and an architecture that dazzled the eye. Gradually, Barcelona’s high society, the aristocracy, and many opera lovers began to frequent the Liceu more often, leaving the Teatro Principal behind.
Yet for many years both theatres flourished beautifully. Each had its own subscribers, orchestras, productions, and even world premieres.
Amazingly, the Teatro Principal premiered Aida by Verdi in Barcelona — despite the Liceu already being the fashionable opera house of the elite. Logically, one might have expected such a monumental work to open at the Liceu, but history chose otherwise, and the Teatro Principal forever holds the honour of having presented Aida first in the city.
Wagner, too, was first heard here in Barcelona, with Lohengrin.
Great voices graced its stage: Enrico Tamberlick — the legendary Don Alvaro of La forza del destino in Saint Petersburg — sang here, and the incomparable Adelina Patti, Verdi’s favourite soprano, performed at the Teatro Principal rather than at the Liceu.
The auditorium itself, though not as vast as the Liceu, was exquisite — adorned with elegant tiers of boxes, glowing with warm light, filled with refined audiences in silk gowns and formal attire. For centuries, before the Liceu existed, it was without question the finest opera house in Spain — a jewel of beauty, acoustics, and prestige.
As more theatres opened across Barcelona, competition increased. Slowly, the Liceu became the city’s primary operatic temple, while the Teatro Principal gradually slipped into second place. Eventually, it transformed into a spoken theatre, while opera and ballet became exclusive to the Liceu.
The list of operas first heard here is astonishing.
Gluck’s masterpiece Orfeo ed Euridice was performed here for the first time in Spain in 1780.
The first Mozart opera ever heard in Spain was performed here in 1790 — while Mozart himself was still alive — once again Così fan tutte.
Anna Bolena, though first performed in Barcelona at the Teatro Principal, had already been heard in Madrid, and therefore was not an absolute Spanish premiere.
However, Verdi’s very first opera, Oberto, was performed in Spain for the first time in this theatre, only three years after its premiere at La Scala in Milan.
With the passing of time, the theatre eventually closed. At the end of the 20th century it reopened briefly and even hosted opera performances once more — I personally attended one of them — but sadly it closed again.
Today it remains shut.
Let us hope that one day it will reopen, return to life, and recover the splendour it once knew — the stage where centuries of music, voices, passion, and history once illuminated Barcelona.
Barcelona's Teatro Principal wasn't just a building: it was a universe of music, light, and life.
For centuries, it was the beating heart of opera in Spain, a place where the city breathed art and where European music found one of its first great Iberian voices.
Built in 1596 at the end of the 16th century on the Rambla, already vibrant with movement and humanity, the theater grew along with Barcelona. Long before the Liceu existed, the Teatro Principal was already a cathedral of opera. From 1735 onward, its opera and ballet seasons transformed the city into a musical capital.
The interior, while not as vast as that of the future Liceu, was dazzlingly beautiful: stacked tiers of gilded boxes, deep red velvet, warm lights shimmering on the decorations, and a grand chandelier that resembled a crystal waterfall suspended in the theater's ceiling.
From their seats and boxes, ladies in silk gowns and gentlemen in tailcoats gazed at the stage in a silence filled with emotion, aware that they were witnessing something unique.
It was here that Spain first heard Mozart, when Così fan tutte resounded in 1790 during the composer's lifetime.
It was here that Rossini conquered Barcelona with The Barber of Seville in 1819.
It was here that Mercadante achieved triumphs now almost forgotten with Elisa and Claudio.
Donizetti arrived in 1828, Bellini in 1830, and in 1835, Anna Bolena exploded into extraordinary success.
That same Anna Bolena would later inaugurate the new rival, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, twelve years later. From then on, the city had two great temples of opera.
The Liceu was larger, more modern, more sumptuous—and slowly attracted Barcelona's high society. But the Teatro Principal never ceased to be glorious.
Here, Barcelona saw Verdi's Aida for the first time.
Here, it heard Wagner perform Lohengrin.
Here, giants like Enrico Tamberlick and the legendary Adelina Patti, Verdi's favorite soprano, sang.
Imagining a premiere at the Teatro Principal—perhaps even for Aida—is like entering a living painting.
From the stage, the gaze takes in a sea of faces illuminated by the chandelier. The gilded boxes shine like molten gold, the red velvets envelop the room in a warm embrace, and the air vibrates with anticipation.
Not a chaotic crowd, but an elegant, composed, present audience—every box filled, every order alive, every gaze directed toward the music.
For decades, this theater was the soul of opera in Spain.
Then, slowly, time changed everything. New theaters, new habits, new fashions. The Liceu became the operatic hub, while the Principal faded into the background, eventually becoming a theater for plays.
Eventually, it closed.
At the end of the 20th century, it reopened briefly—and even opera returned for a moment. I myself attended one of those evenings, like a final farewell to a sleeping giant. Then, silence again.
Today, the Teatro Principal no longer exists as a temple of opera.
But thanks to photographs, memories, and now even recreated images, we can bring it back to life.
We can see it again from the stage:
the illuminated boxes, the ladies dressed in 19th-century fashion, the great chandelier lit, the audience waiting for the orchestra to strike the first notes.
A tribute not only to a building, but to centuries of music, emotion, and beauty.
And who knows—perhaps one day, Barcelona will once again fully honor this theater that, before anyone else, taught the city to love opera.
Costruito alla fine del XVI secolo, nel 1596, sulla Rambla già vibrante di movimento e umanità, il teatro crebbe insieme a Barcellona. Molto prima che il Liceu esistesse, il Principal era già una cattedrale della lirica. Dal 1735 in poi, le sue stagioni d’opera e balletto trasformarono la città in una capitale musicale.
L’interno, pur non vasto come quello del futuro Liceu, era di una bellezza abbagliante: ordini sovrapposti di palchi dorati, velluti rossi profondi, luci calde che scintillavano sulle decorazioni, e un grande lampadario che sembrava una cascata di cristallo sospesa nel cielo del teatro.
Dalle poltrone e dai palchi, dame in abiti di seta e signori in frac osservavano il palcoscenico con un silenzio carico di emozione, consapevoli di assistere a qualcosa di unico.
Quella stessa Anna Bolena avrebbe poi inaugurato il nuovo rivale, il Gran Teatre del Liceu, dodici anni più tardi. Da quel momento, la città ebbe due grandi templi dell’opera.
Il Liceu era più grande, più moderno, più sontuoso — e lentamente attirò l’alta società barcellonese. Ma il Principal non smise mai di essere glorioso.
Non una folla caotica, ma un pubblico elegante, composto, presente — ogni palco abitato, ogni ordine vivo, ogni sguardo rivolto verso la musica.
Per decenni, questo teatro fu l’anima dell’opera in Spagna.
Poi, lentamente, il tempo cambiò tutto. Nuovi teatri, nuove abitudini, nuove mode. Il Liceu divenne il riferimento lirico, mentre il Principal scivolò in secondo piano, fino a trasformarsi in teatro di prosa.
Alla fine chiuse.
Alla fine del XX secolo riaprì brevemente — e persino l’opera tornò per un istante. Io stesso ho assistito a una di quelle serate, come un ultimo saluto a un gigante addormentato. Poi di nuovo il silenzio.
Un omaggio non solo a un edificio, ma a secoli di musica, emozione e bellezza.
E chissà — forse un giorno Barcellona saprà ancora onorare pienamente questo teatro che, prima di tutti, insegnò alla città ad amare l’opera.
Le Teatro Principal de Barcelone n'était pas qu'un simple bâtiment : c'était un univers de musique, de lumière et de vie.
Pendant des siècles, il fut le cœur battant de l'opéra en Espagne, un lieu où la ville respirait l'art et où la musique européenne trouva l'une de ses premières grandes voix ibériques.
Construit en 1596, à la fin du XVIe siècle, sur les Ramblas, déjà vibrantes de mouvement et d'humanité, le théâtre grandit au rythme de Barcelone. Bien avant l'existence du Liceu, le Teatro Principal était déjà une cathédrale de l'opéra. À partir de 1735, ses saisons d'opéra et de ballet transformèrent la ville en capitale musicale.
L'intérieur, bien que moins vaste que celui du futur Liceu, était d'une beauté éblouissante : des loges dorées superposées, du velours rouge profond, des lumières chaudes qui scintillaient sur les décorations et un grand lustre qui ressemblait à une cascade de cristal suspendue au plafond du théâtre.
Depuis leurs sièges et leurs loges, dames en robes de soie et messieurs en queue-de-pie contemplaient la scène dans un silence empli d'émotion, conscients d'assister à un moment unique.
C'est ici que l'Espagne entendit Mozart pour la première fois, lorsque Così fan tutte résonna en 1790, du vivant du compositeur.
C'est ici que Rossini conquit Barcelone avec Le Barbier de Séville en 1819.
C'est ici que Mercadante connut des triomphes aujourd'hui presque oubliés avec Elisa et Claudio.
Donizetti arriva en 1828, Bellini en 1830, et en 1835, Anna Bolena connut un succès fulgurant.
Cette même Anna Bolena inaugurera douze ans plus tard le nouveau rival, le Gran Teatre del Liceu. Dès lors, la ville possédait deux grands temples de l'opéra.
Le Liceu était plus grand, plus moderne, plus somptueux – et attira peu à peu la haute société barcelonaise. Mais le Teatro Principal n'a jamais cessé de briller.
C'est ici que Barcelone a vu pour la première fois Aida de Verdi.
C'est ici qu'elle a entendu Wagner interpréter Lohengrin.
C'est ici que des géants comme Enrico Tamberlick et la légendaire Adelina Patti, la soprano préférée de Verdi, ont chanté.
Imaginer une première au Teatro Principal – peut-être même pour Aida – c'est comme entrer dans un tableau vivant.
Depuis la scène, le regard embrasse une mer de visages illuminés par le lustre. Les loges dorées brillent comme de l'or en fusion, les velours rouges enveloppent la salle d'une douce étreinte et l'air vibre d'impatience.
Non pas une foule chaotique, mais un public élégant, serein et attentif – chaque loge est occupée, chaque salle est animée, chaque regard est tourné vers la musique.
Pendant des décennies, ce théâtre a été l'âme de l'opéra en Espagne.
Puis, lentement, le temps a tout changé. De nouveaux théâtres, de nouvelles habitudes, de nouvelles modes. Le Liceu devint le centre névralgique de l'opéra, tandis que le Principal tomba dans l'oubli, se transformant peu à peu en théâtre.
Finalement, il ferma ses portes.
À la fin du XXe siècle, il rouvrit brièvement – et même l'opéra y fit son retour, l'espace d'un instant. J'ai moi-même assisté à une représentation d'opéra, comme un dernier adieu à un géant endormi. Puis, le silence retomba.
Aujourd'hui, le Teatro Principal n'est plus un temple de l'opéra.
Mais grâce aux photographies, aux souvenirs, et même aux reconstitutions, nous pouvons lui redonner vie.
Nous pouvons le revoir depuis la scène :
les loges illuminées, les dames vêtues à la mode du XIXe siècle, le grand lustre étincelant, le public attendant les premières notes de l'orchestre.
Un hommage non seulement à un bâtiment, mais à des siècles de musique, d'émotion et de beauté.
Et qui sait – peut-être qu'un jour, Barcelone rendra pleinement hommage à ce théâtre qui, avant tout autre, a appris à la ville à aimer l'opéra.
El Teatro Principal de Barcelona no era solo un edificio: era un universo de música, luz y vida.
Durante siglos, fue el corazón palpitante de la ópera en España, un lugar donde la ciudad respiraba arte y donde la música europea encontró una de sus primeras grandes voces ibéricas.
Construido en 1596 a finales del siglo XVI en la Rambla, ya vibrante de movimiento y humanidad, el teatro creció junto con Barcelona. Mucho antes de la existencia del Liceu, el Teatro Principal ya era una catedral de la ópera. A partir de 1735, sus temporadas de ópera y ballet transformaron la ciudad en una capital musical.
El interior, aunque no tan vasto como el del futuro Liceu, era de una belleza deslumbrante: hileras de palcos dorados, terciopelo rojo intenso, luces cálidas que brillaban sobre la decoración y una gran lámpara de araña que parecía una cascada de cristal suspendida en el techo del teatro.
Desde sus asientos y palcos, damas con vestidos de seda y caballeros con frac contemplaban el escenario en un silencio cargado de emoción, conscientes de estar presenciando algo único.
Fue aquí donde España escuchó por primera vez a Mozart, cuando Così fan tutte resonó en 1790, durante la vida del compositor.
Fue aquí donde Rossini conquistó Barcelona con El barbero de Sevilla en 1819.
Fue aquí donde Mercadante alcanzó triunfos ahora casi olvidados con Elisa y Claudio.
Donizetti llegó en 1828, Bellini en 1830, y en 1835, Anna Bolena arrasó con un éxito extraordinario.
Esa misma Anna Bolena inauguraría el nuevo rival, el Gran Teatre del Liceu, doce años después. A partir de entonces, la ciudad contó con dos grandes templos de la ópera.
El Liceu era más grande, más moderno, más suntuoso, y poco a poco atrajo a la alta sociedad barcelonesa. Pero el Teatro Principal nunca dejó de ser glorioso. Aquí, Barcelona vio por primera vez Aida de Verdi. Aquí, escuchó a Wagner interpretar Lohengrin. Aquí, cantaron gigantes como Enrico Tamberlick y la legendaria Adelina Patti, la soprano favorita de Verdi.
Imaginar un estreno en el Teatro Principal —quizás incluso para Aida— es como entrar en un cuadro viviente.
Desde el escenario, la mirada se posa en un mar de rostros iluminados por la lámpara de araña. Los palcos dorados brillan como oro fundido, los terciopelos rojos envuelven la sala en un cálido abrazo y el aire vibra de expectación.
No una multitud caótica, sino un público elegante, sereno y presente: cada palco lleno, cada orden vivo, cada mirada dirigida hacia la música.
Durante décadas, este teatro fue el alma de la ópera en España.
Luego, poco a poco, el tiempo lo cambió todo. Nuevos teatros, nuevas costumbres, nuevas modas. El Liceu se convirtió en el centro neurálgico de la ópera, mientras que el Principal quedó relegado a un segundo plano, convirtiéndose finalmente en un teatro de obras. Finalmente, cerró.
A finales del siglo XX, reabrió brevemente, e incluso la ópera regresó por un momento. Yo mismo asistí a una de esas veladas, como una despedida final a un gigante dormido. Luego, de nuevo, silencio.
Hoy, el Teatro Principal ya no existe como templo de la ópera.
Pero gracias a fotografías, recuerdos e incluso imágenes recreadas, podemos revivirlo.
Podemos verlo de nuevo desde el escenario: los palcos iluminados, las damas vestidas a la moda del siglo XIX, la gran lámpara encendida, el público esperando a que la orquesta diera las primeras notas.
Un homenaje no solo a un edificio, sino a siglos de música, emoción y belleza.
Y quién sabe, quizás algún día Barcelona vuelva a honrar plenamente a este teatro que, antes que nadie, enseñó a la ciudad a amar la ópera.
