King Gustav III opened the Royal Opera House in Stockholm on January 18, 1773. To commemorate the 250th anniversary, a gala was held at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, attended by members of the Royal Family.
King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Christina and her husband, Tord Magnuson, all attended the special event that featured a diverse program, including opera, ballet, instrumental music, and spoken word theatre, spanning from the 18th century to the present.
The oldest piece performed was composed by Uttini and Gluck, while the most recent pieces were composed by Karin Rehnqvist and Mats Larsson Gothe.
The gala also included performances of classic works by Swedish composers Stenhammar and Peterson-Berger. Following the performance, the Royal Family had the chance to meet and greet the cast, including dancer Luiza López.
It was in 1773 that King Gustaf III founded the Royal Opera, and the opening night featured a performance of Uttini’s opera “Thetis and Pelée” by a Swedish ensemble. An excerpt from this was also performed during the anniversary performance.
For some years, the Royal Opera was located at the Royal Palace, but in 1782, a new opera house was opened, with room for 1,000 spectators.
Just over 100 years later, in 1892, the Gustavian opera house was demolished to make way for the opera house seen today, which was inaugurated in 1898 under the patronage of King Oscar II.
The Royal Opera in Sweden has a dramatic royal history. On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot by Captain Jacob Johan Anckarstrom during a masquerade in the Stockholm Opera, and on March 29, he died of his injuries. The event is the subject of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “the Masquerade Ball” from 1859.
