Municipal Theater

Around 1894, the playwright Arthur Azevedo, one of the biggest advocates for the establishment of a national theater, launched a campaign to ensure that theatrical activities were associated with the modernization process of the late 19th century. He envisioned the construction of a theater worthy of Brazil’s capital, one that could serve as the home of the first Brazilian theater company, modeled after the Comédie Française. However, neither his campaign nor the subsequent municipal law of 1895, created to raise funds for the theater’s construction, succeeded. It was only in 1903, under the administration of Mayor Pereira Passos, that the project for a new theater gained traction.

A competition was held to select the best proposal for the theater’s construction. Of the seven submissions, Áquilla by the engineer Francisco de Oliveira Passos, Pereira Passos´ son, and Isadora by the French architect Albert Guilbert tied for first place. The solution was to merge the two designs into a single project, as both were based on the style of the Paris Opera House.

Augusto Malta. Municipal Theater under construction, 1907. Instituto Moreira Salles.

Construction of the Municipal Theater began in 1905 and was considered the most advanced project of the city’s urban reform. Leading contemporary artists were enlisted for the interior design. They included Eliseu Visconti, who designed the stage curtains and ceiling paintings and Rodolfo Amoedo, and the Bernardelli brothers, who were responsible for the paintings and sculptures. The stained glass and mosaics were created by European artisans. A total of 280 workers labored continuously, in two shifts, for four years to complete the project.

Augusto Malta. Façade of the Municipal Theater, circa 1910. Instituto Moreira Salles.

The grand Rio theater, which had a capacity for 1,739 spectators, was inaugurated on 14 July, 1909, in the presence of then-President of the Republic Nilo Peçanha and the city mayor, Francisco de Souza Aguiar. The Assirius Restaurant, with its Assyrian-style decor, set an avant-garde tone. The façades were impressive with their combination of classical and baroque elements and the bronze and glass dome was a striking feature.

Photo: Reproduction

The opening speech at the inauguration ceremony was delivered by Olavo Bilac. The Companhia Dramática founded by Arthur Azevedo performed the play “Bonança” by Coelho Neto, although Azevedo passed away before seeing the final production. In addition to hosting performances, the Municipal Theater became a point of interest in itself , another icon of Pereira Passos´ urban reform.

Photo: Reproduction