The Grand Theatre of Geneva
The Grand Theatre de Geneve is both a performance venue and a city institution. It is one of the prestigious cultural establishments of this great Swiss city and is extremely popular with tourists and residents alike. The building itself, which houses the famous company, is an amazing visual spectacle and alone inspires a sense of awe and greatness in those who approach. The majestic building first opened to the public in 1876 and is located along Place Neuve. Unfortunately, though not uncommon to many great buildings throughout Europe, it was partially, well significantly destroyed by fire in 1951 and was not reopened until 1962. This is not only one of the favorite visual landmarks for many of the guests in the Geneva Hotels , it is also popular place to visit as an audience member.
Throughout much of the years, even centuries that followed the Reformation, the city of Geneva was heavily influenced by Calvinist thought and belief practice. And while this is still evident in the culture and tradition of the city today, it has become much more progressive and open to various arts and performance genres. In the case of opera, the city saw its first opera house build and open in the 1760s. Voltaire was the most famous and influence artist operating at the theatre during this time and under his influence the performances achieved great audience approval and interest. A new theatre soon emerged and they flourished early in their existence. Both of these early theatres existed outside of the official city walls. It was the second of these early theatres, the Teatre Neuve, that was eventually brought down so that a new building to could be built to better suit its needs and productions. This also coincided with the growing population of the city itself and the interest of additional audience members.