BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — With a final performance from Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa, the curtains are coming down for 18 months on the Teatro Colon. South America's most famous opera house closed Oct. 31 for a delicate renovation, its most thorough makeover yet.
Some worry that the $25 million renovation could damage the majestic acoustics that attracted such opera legends as Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, or compromise the tasteful opulence that has made the theater Argentina's supreme cultural icon.
The theater is slated to reopen in May 2008 with "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi, marking the centennial celebration for the opera house. By then, everything in the 2,478-seat hall will have been overhauled: the acoustic tiles, the wooden stage and balconies, the lighting and air conditioning.
In past months, workers have scrubbed clean decades of grime from the soaring Greek-styled facade, a three-tiered structure that also combines French and Italian Renaissance elements.
Workers also repaired its gabled rooftop and will turn now to the plumbing, wiring and fire protection systems.
The key, however, is the storied, horseshoe-shaped main auditorium, which hosted the world premiere of Richard Strauss' opera "Electra" and has welcomed such dancers as Anna Pavlova, Rudolf Nureyev, Vaslav Nijinsky and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Though long overdue, critics worry the restoration could remove the sparkle of what is a must-stop for culture lovers visiting Buenos Aires. The Colon's restorers "must avoid irreparable damage to the famed acoustics," Argentina's daily La Nacion warned in an editorial. "It is hoped that, once the work is finished, the Colon will regain its full glory as one of the great opera houses of the world."
If not, it won't be for lack of effort: Experts have studied the theater's curtain textures, plastered walls and frescos, extensively analyzing how new seat covers, curtains, tiling and adornments could affect the sound.
Preserving the acoustics is paramount, said architect Sonia Terreno, director of renovations. She pledged that the restorers would not veer from the building's historic architectural lines.