Dos Teatros

Teatro Solís y Auditorio Nacional Adela Reta

I was very fortunate to be able to visit two different performance halls and experience two different musical productions while in Montevideo, Uruguay. Teatro Solís opened in 1856, and has been through restoration and reconstruction projects since then. I went to a concert by the Montevideo Philharmonic with guest conductor Carols Vieu and piano soloist Marta Menzes. The hall in which I watched the concert reminded me of an old European style concert hall with its ornate columns, stylings, ceiling, and chandelier. Symphonic orchestral music by French composer Ravel and Russian composer Moussorgsky was certainly a propos to the setting. The facade of the building looks like the 1856 original with its neoclassical style. For more musings on the actual concert, click here.

Teatro Solís website:
https://www.teatrosolis.org.uy/home

Fulbright was generous to get me box seats. In old Europe, these were reserved for the wealthy, so I imagined myself as an upper class concert-goer.

Ornate interior. The ceiling has the names of European classical composers and writers around the chandelier.

Orchestra warm-up.

Araña = spider or chandelier. Entrance way as you first enter.

I love looking at pictures of a building through its history. This virtual tour from Teatro Solís provides a brief overview of the building’s history with lots of historical photos. It also offers a glimpse into the various rooms and decor that make up the theater.

Auditorio Nacional Adela Reta was established in 2009, and is built on the site of its predecessor the Teatro Urquiza. Adela Reta, in contrast to Teatro Solís, has a more modern feel to it, both in its interior and exterior. The performance I attended here was also more contemporary with the sci-fi type story, a rock band to accompany the children and youth choirs, and high tech screen projections. For more on my experience of the musical Metrópolis at Adela Reta, click here.

About the Auditorio Nacional Adela Reta:
https://sodre.gub.uy/institucional/auditorio-nacional-adela-reta/

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The performance of the futuristic musical Metrópolis in the modern Adela Reta provided a contrast to old world vibe and stylings of Teatro Solís and the symphony orchestra concert.

Front row, balcony is my favorite place to sit for performances. Although we were second row balcony, the experience was still great.

Modern rock band with synthesizer, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums.

Fulbrigthers (Me, Indiana, and Rama) walking down from the balcony. Nice interior, but I prefer the more classical style of Solís.

According to the Adela Reta and Teatro Solís websites, each presents a variety of productions, from classical to modern to folk, by a variety of groups. Both theaters provide space to Uruguay’s performers, as well as to international performers, and offer educational programs and cultural outreach. Adela Reta is part of SODRE (Servicio Ofical de Difusión, Representaciones y Espectáculos), Uruguay’s national cultural organization, run by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Teatro Solís is the oldest running theater in South America, and considered a mecca of culture in Uruguay.