Biondo Theater
The Teatro Biondo Stabile is the theater building on Via Roma in Palermo . It was designed by Nicolò Mineo, opened in 1903, triggering still in the tradition of classicism standing Teatro Massimo from. During this time, an enlightened entrepreneurial bourgeoisie, which was keen on modern cultural highlights, shaped the style in Palermo. The Teatro Biondo has structural elements from both historicism and Art Nouveau . The choice of the location in the heart of the old city took place in the course of the renovation and the city expansion at the turn of the century. In the whole of Italy at the time after the Risorgimento there was lively construction activity; for Palermo it is considered the heyday of its cultural life.
history
At the end of the 19th century, in addition to the Teatro Massimo , which was mainly used for operas, it was considered necessary to build another stage in Palermo, which was to be used primarily for drama. The pompous, temple-like opera was interpreted as a symbol of monumental splendor. The new venue should be less ostentatious, but modern and appropriate for the wealthy middle class. Its construction was highly controversial. The three cosmopolitan Biondo brothers were responsible, with the oldest, the lawyer Andrea Biondo (1867–1939), also assuming legal responsibility. The establishment of the theater was purely philanthropic and the funding came entirely without government support.
Building history
The architect Nicolò Mineo, who worked with colleagues James Nicolai and Antonio Lo Bianco, was appointed site manager. A structurally adjoining residential complex was also built.
The construction was only made possible by the realignment of Via Roma in 1885 (Piano Regolatore), which took more than 25 years to complete. The Teatro Biondo, on the other hand, was already completed after 16 months for the new season from October 1903. The building site was not in the favor of the theater people who had established themselves in other quarters with the Politeama Theater and several other theaters.
The ridge height of the building corresponded to that of the surrounding buildings, the front of the building was designed in the style of a classic theater basilica with a subtle mean risalit and extended over the entire street block to Via Roma. The construction work was carried out by Ferdinand Baronie; the company Li Vigni was responsible for the stucco work inside and outside. The engineer Nicolai watched over the interior fittings , especially the balconies and boxes, wall paneling and floors, in which structural elements were prefabricated in a pre-industrial manner. The large, horseshoe-shaped hall was furnished with two levels of boxes and a large gallery. The stairwells and the foyer were equipped with Sicilian marble: yellow from Segesta and red from Castellammare del Golfo , but also white Carrara marble . From the foyer, which went into the foyer, one could get through twelve glass doors directly to the boxes and opposite to a splendid ballroom, which after the performances became a popular meeting place for the wealthy and prominent families who carried the city's cultural interests.
Salvatore Gregorietti (1870–1952), a respected painter and designer from Palermo, said:
"Tali decorazioni hanno una ricchezza di fantasie orientali su sfondi chiari, tutte a intrecci deliziosi, fatti di foglie e di frutti, a toni squisiti, i quali si svolgono in ornati graziosi, di una tale semplicità e di una tale elegan ad essi, immersi in un'ammirazione che finisce col turbare "
"These decorations have a wealth of oriental fantasies on a light background, all with delicate wickerwork of leaves and fruits, kept in exquisite colors, which develop into graceful jewelry, with such simplicity and elegance that one lingers in front of them in admiration, which ends with one falling into rapture. "
Many of these details had been covered with newer coats of paint since the 1920s, but came back to light in 1996 when the building underwent extensive renovations.
It was very proud that, with a few exceptions, such as the electrical system that came from AEG , all the fixtures in the theater were made locally. The technical and craftsmanship reached a level never seen before.
Theater history
The opening took place on 15 October 1903, when under the direction of Ermete Novelli (1851-1919) The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare came to the performance. This house has been used for theater for over 100 years , only interrupted by a crisis in the Biondo family in the 1920s when the building was redesigned as a cinema. From the legacy of Andrea Biondo, a foundation was established in 1968, which documents the importance of the house in the city's cultural life. From 1978 to 1991 Pietro Carriglio (* 1938) was responsible for the artistic direction. In 1986 the city of Palermo took over responsibility for the permanent representation by participating in the theater. To this end, the Associazione Teatro Biondo Stabile di Palermo company was founded on December 31, 1986 , which, in cooperation with the foundation and the municipal administrative offices, took over the coordination of the game operations. Carriglio, who was replaced by Roberto Guicciardini (* 1933) after leaving the Teatro di Roma , but returned to the Teatro Biondo seven years later, was chiefly responsible for the house until his retirement in 2013. Since then Roberto Alajmo has headed the management, Emma Dante (* 1967) is the artistic director .
Building description
The horseshoe-shaped theater hall with 22 by 22 meters has 888 seats, 463 of them on the ground floor , 162 in the boxes and 263 in the stands. The stage measures 23 by 15 meters and has a 10 meter deep front stage .
The main entrance is accessible from Via Venezia , where there is also a bar. From the Via Roma is also enters the foyer, the upper floors with boxes and galleries and other ancillary rooms can be reached by the generous of stairs. The entire, oval auditorium of the theater is closed off by a row of colonnades with a blue illuminated glass dome, which gives the room a great lightness. The cross ribs of this cover are decorated with rich Art Nouveau ornamentation.
Under the auditorium there is a large hall that can also be used independently of theater events. It holds 100 people and was named after the famous Italian theater director Giorgio Strehler in 1997 after his sudden death .
Web links
- Teatro Biondo , website
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g Stage of the Teatro Biondo ( Memento of the original from April 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , History.
- ^ Ruggero Ragonese: The Cutting of Via Roma , Enzo Sellerio, Palermo 2006, ISBN 88-7681-153-2 , p. 114.
- ↑ Marinella Fiume: Siciliane: dizionario biografico E. Romeo, Syrakus 2006, ISBN 978-88-7428-057-5 , p. 513.
- ↑ a b Giuseppe Quatriglio, Florence Russo, Gaetano Cipolla: Sicily: Iceland of Myths . Legas / Gaetano Cipolla 2011, ISBN 978-1-881901-78-5 , p. 10.
- ↑ Renato Zappulla: L'Architettura a Palermo dal 1860 al 1930 , Stass, Palermo 1981, p. 38.
- ↑ Palermo, Teatro Biondo presentata stagione 2013-2014: Grandi nomi , Palermomania November 1, 2013.
Coordinates: 38 ° 7 '3.4 " N , 13 ° 21' 45.9" E