The Hermitage Theatre was the second theatre of the Winter Palace. It replaced the Russian Imperial Theater, which operated from 1764 until 1783. The Hermitage Theatre was built between 1783 and 1787 at the behest of Catherine the Great to a Palladian[citation needed] design by Giacomo Quarenghi. The crumbling Third Winter Palace of Peter the Great was demolished to make room for the new structure, although its old foundations are still visible in the ground floor. Quarenghi's designs for the theatre were engraved and published in 1787, earning him a European reputation.
The semicircular auditorium is decorated with color marble and surrounded with ten niches for statues of Apollo and the muses. As the interior has never been overhauled, the original stage machinery remains in situ, but the elaborate sets, an acclaimed work of the Italian artist Pietro Gonzaga (1751-1831), were lost during the years of Soviet neglect.
The ceremonial opening of the theatre took place on 22 November 1785. Though the auditorium could seat no more than 250 spectators, it was often overcrowded. Usually, the performance would be attended by several dozen aristocratic spectators, all invited by the monarch herself. As a sign of gratitude, a separate loge was reserved for the architect Quarenghi and his family. In the 19th century, selected members of the diplomatic corps were admitted to the theatre as well.
Although the building was used to entertain the imperial family until the Russian Revolution, it came to be viewed as a rare monument to Catherine's personal tastes and affections. The empress brought out several comedies specifically to be staged in this theatre, which also saw the premieres of Domenico Cimarosa's operas composed to her own librettos. As for the costumes, they were chosen from a 15,000-dress personal wardrobe of the late Empress Elizabeth.
hermitage, theatre, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, january, 2016, learn, wh. This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Hermitage Theatre Russian Ermitazhnyj Teatr tr Ermitaznyj Teatr IPA ɪrmʲɪˈtaʐnɨj tʲɪˈat e r in Saint Petersburg Russia is one of five Hermitage buildings lining the Palace Embankment of the Neva River Interior of the Hermitage Theatre Hemitage Theatre on the Palace Embankment of Neva River Hermitage Bridge in front of the theatre The Hermitage Theatre was the second theatre of the Winter Palace It replaced the Russian Imperial Theater which operated from 1764 until 1783 The Hermitage Theatre was built between 1783 and 1787 at the behest of Catherine the Great to a Palladian citation needed design by Giacomo Quarenghi The crumbling Third Winter Palace of Peter the Great was demolished to make room for the new structure although its old foundations are still visible in the ground floor Quarenghi s designs for the theatre were engraved and published in 1787 earning him a European reputation The semicircular auditorium is decorated with color marble and surrounded with ten niches for statues of Apollo and the muses As the interior has never been overhauled the original stage machinery remains in situ but the elaborate sets an acclaimed work of the Italian artist Pietro Gonzaga 1751 1831 were lost during the years of Soviet neglect The ceremonial opening of the theatre took place on 22 November 1785 Though the auditorium could seat no more than 250 spectators it was often overcrowded Usually the performance would be attended by several dozen aristocratic spectators all invited by the monarch herself As a sign of gratitude a separate loge was reserved for the architect Quarenghi and his family In the 19th century selected members of the diplomatic corps were admitted to the theatre as well Although the building was used to entertain the imperial family until the Russian Revolution it came to be viewed as a rare monument to Catherine s personal tastes and affections The empress brought out several comedies specifically to be staged in this theatre which also saw the premieres of Domenico Cimarosa s operas composed to her own librettos As for the costumes they were chosen from a 15 000 dress personal wardrobe of the late Empress Elizabeth Mathilde Kschessinska Anna Pavlova and Fyodor Chaliapin were among the great artists who performed at the Hermitage Theatre for the last Russian tsar Among the ballets performed there was the premiere of Marius Petipa s Harlequinade in 1900 The Bolsheviks closed the theatre and utilised the building for administrative purposes It was not until 1991 that performances were resumed on this stage with the likes of Svyatoslav Richter Mstislav Rostropovich and Yelena Obraztsova appearing as guest stars vteWinter CanalLegendMoykaSecond Winter Bridge Moika river embankmentMilitary archiveFirst Winter Bridge Millionnaya StreetDescent to W Canal Noviy HermitageGeneral Staff Building Descent to W CanalHermitage ArchHermitage theatre Bolshoy HermitageHermitage Bridge Palace EmbankmentDescent to NevaNevaReferences EditAvramenko S I Vospominaniya ob Ermitazhnom teatre SPb 1992 External links EditWebsite of the Hermitage Theatre Website of the Hermitage Museum Historical outlineCoordinates 59 56 33 N 30 19 04 E 59 942614 N 30 317794 E 59 942614 30 317794 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hermitage Theatre amp oldid 1131129695, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
