The Colon Theater carried out the cleaning and maintenance of the chandelier of the first coliseum to shine with all its splendor at the start of the 2021 season that began on Friday, July 2 with a concert by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of maestro Enrique Arthur Diemecke.
During the operation, he had the job of more than 25 people, and under the watchful eye of María Victoria Alcaraz, General Director of the Buenos Aires Coliseum, the chandelier descended thirty meters to the level of the stalls to achieve its cleaning, maintenance and essentially the replacement of the 552 lamps that it has distributed in its twelve lampshades.
The process also included the removal of all the lamps, the delicate cleaning the lampshades and metal parts with the use of special cloths, the placement of all new lamps and the necessary repairs.
During the cleaning and maintenance operation, more than 25 people worked,
The Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, Enrique Avogadro, expressed: “We continue with the implementation of culture in the City. The return of the Teatro Colón is one of the most anticipated returns. The cultural sector has shown a great commitment to the protocols and health care necessary to take care of ourselves while we continue to experience this pandemic. With a quality artistic program, as the Colón has accustomed us, we return to live culture in the City. I want to highlight the work and effort of all the cultural workers who are the ones who promote it and position our beloved City as a cultural beacon worldwide. “
The chandelier of the Teatro Colón is original from the moment of its inauguration; It was built in Europe at the end of the 19th century by the brothers Esteban and Luis Azaretto. It weighs 1,300 kilos and has two parts: a fixed one -amurada to the ceiling- seven and a half meters in diameter and another movable, five and a half meters in diameter and almost four meters high, which constitutes its central ceiling.
“The return of the Teatro Colón is one of the most anticipated returns”. (Enrique Avogadro, Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires)
Maria Victoria AlcarazHe added: “It is something very valuable and very significant for the Colón Theater, for the City and for the whole country to have this jewel that is the room itself and this very characteristic part that is the spider. Today for us is a day of celebration because we are also preparing the theater and the hall for the second reopening with concerts, opera and ballet that we will perform with stable bodies during the month of July. We will be providing the best that this house has, which is the magic of the art that is performed on stage, complying with all the protocols and taking all the care so that the theater is a safe place for the public, for the artists and for Workers. We work side by side with the Ministry of Health, minute by minute, taking care of all the details so that we can come to work or enjoy art and culture with the greatest of security. “
Since the restoration of the theater, concluded in 2010, the lowering and lifting system of the chandelier was modernized and missing pieces were replaced with new pieces handcrafted by Juan Carlos Pallarols. One of the most precious secrets that this space houses was also kept: the corridor above the dome that allows choreographers and musicians to be located there and to generate voices and heavenly sounds in performances that seek this special effect.
At the end of the day, with a total of more than 6 hours, the test was carried out on, off, cooling down and on again, to verify that everything is in order before the final ascent that takes approximately 40 minutes.
Surrounded by the magnificent paintings of Raúl Money, the chandelier of the Teatro Colón – icon of the Buenos Aires Coliseum – is already in all its splendor to dazzle the public.
The Colón Theater reschedules its face-to-face performances from July
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