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Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera (German: Wiener Staatsoper, IPA: [ˈviːnɐ ˈʃtaːt͡sˌʔoːpɐ]) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll, and designs by Josef Hlávka. The opera house was inaugurated as the "Vienna Court Opera" (Wiener Hofoper) in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. It became known by its current name after the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1921. The Vienna State Opera is the successor of the old Vienna Court Opera[1] (built in 1636 inside the Hofburg). The new site was chosen and the construction paid by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1861.[2]

Vienna State Opera
Former namesVienna Court Opera
(Wiener Hofoper)
LocationVienna, Austria
Public transit Karlsplatz, 1 2 D 62 71 Opernring, Bus 59A
OwnerCity of Vienna
TypeOpera house
Capacity1,709 seated, 567 standing
Construction
Opened25 May 1869
ArchitectAugust Sicard von Sicardsburg
Eduard van der Nüll
BuilderJosef Hlávka
Website
wiener-staatsoper.at

The members of the Vienna Philharmonic are recruited from the Vienna State Opera's orchestra. The building is also the home of the Vienna State Ballet, and it hosts the annual Vienna Opera Ball during the carnival season.

History

 
Construction site of the new building, 1863

History of the building

Construction

The opera house was the first major building on the Vienna Ringstrasse commissioned by the Viennese "city expansion fund". Work commenced on the house in 1861 and was completed in 1869, following plans drawn up by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance style by the renowned Czech architect and contractor Josef Hlávka.

 
Play bill for the opening performance of the new Opernhaus, announcing the opening performance of Don Giovanni on 25 May 1869
 
Coeval watercolour painting of the opening performance (Kunsthistorisches Museum)

The Ministry of the Interior had commissioned a number of reports into the availability of certain building materials, with the result that stones long not seen in Vienna were used, such as Wöllersdorfer Stein, for plinths and free-standing, simply-divided buttresses, the famously hard stone from Kaisersteinbruch, whose colour was more appropriate than that of Kelheimerstein, for more lushly decorated parts. The somewhat coarser-grained Kelheimerstein (also known as Solnhof Plattenstein) was intended as the main stone to be used in the building of the opera house, but the necessary quantity was not deliverable. Breitenbrunner stone was suggested as a substitute for the Kelheimer stone, and stone from Jois was used as a cheaper alternative to the Kaiserstein. The staircases were constructed from polished Kaiserstein, while most of the rest of the interior was decorated with varieties of marble.

 
The Hofoper, c. 1898

The decision was made to use dimension stone for the exterior of the building. Due to the monumental demand for stone, stone from Sóskút, widely used in Budapest, was also used. Three Viennese masonry companies were employed to supply enough masonry labour: Eduard Hauser (still in existence today), Anton Wasserburger and Moritz Pranter. The foundation stone was laid on 20 May 1863.

Public response

The building was, however, not very popular with the public. On the one hand, it did not seem as grand as the Heinrichshof, a private residence which was destroyed in World War II (and replaced in 1955 by the Opernringhof). Moreover, because the level of Ringstraße was raised by a metre in front of the opera house after its construction had begun, the latter was likened to "a sunken treasure chest" and, in analogy to the military disaster of 1866 (the Battle of Königgrätz), was deprecatingly referred to as "the 'Königgrätz' of architecture". Eduard van der Nüll committed suicide, and barely ten weeks later Sicardsburg died from tuberculosis so neither architect saw the completion of the building. The opening premiere was Don Giovanni, by Mozart, on 25 May 1869. Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) were present.

WW II bombing and redesign

 
Play bill of the last performance in the old building: Götterdämmerung, 30 June 1944

Towards the end of World War II, on 12 March 1945, the opera was set alight by an American bombardment.[citation needed] The auditorium and stage were destroyed by flames, as well as almost the entire décor and props for more than 120 operas with around 150,000 costumes. The front section, which had been walled off as a precaution, however, remained intact including the foyer, with frescoes by Moritz von Schwind, the main stairways, the vestibule and the tea room. The State Opera was temporarily housed at the Theater an der Wien and at the Vienna Volksoper.

Lengthy discussion took place about whether the opera house should be restored to its original state on its original site, or whether it should be completely demolished and rebuilt, either on the same location or on a different site. Eventually the decision was made to rebuild the opera house as it had been, and the main restoration experts involved were Ernst Kolb (1948–1952) and Udo Illig (1953–1956).

The Austrian Federal Chancellor Leopold Figl made the decision in 1946 to have a functioning opera house again by 1949. An architectural competition was announced, which was won by Erich Boltenstern. The submissions had ranged from a complete restructuring of the auditorium to a replica of the original design; Boltenstern decided on a design similar to the original with some modernisation in keeping with the design of the 1950s. In order to achieve a good acoustic, wood was the favoured building material, at the advice of, among others, Arturo Toscanini. In addition, the number of seats in the parterre (stalls) was reduced, and the fourth gallery, which had been fitted with columns, was restructured so as not to need columns. The façade, entrance hall and the "Schwind" foyer were restored and remain in their original style.

In the meantime, the opera company, which had at first been performing in the Volksoper, had moved rehearsals and performances to Theater an der Wien, where, on 1 May 1945, after the liberation and re-independence of Austria from the Nazis, the first performances were given. In 1947, the company went on tour to London.

Due to the appalling conditions at Theater an der Wien, the opera company leadership tried to raise significant quantities of money to speed up reconstruction of the original opera house. Many private donations were made, as well as donations of building material from the Soviets, who were very interested in the rebuilding of the opera. The mayor of Vienna had receptacles placed in many sites around Vienna for people to donate coins only. In this way, everyone in Vienna could say they had participated in the reconstruction and feel pride in considering themselves part owners.

However, in 1949, there was only a temporary roof on the Staatsoper, as construction work continued. It was not until 5 November 1955, after the Austrian State Treaty, that the Staatsoper could be reopened with a performance of Beethoven's Fidelio, conducted by Karl Böhm.[3] The American Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, was present. The state broadcaster ORF used the occasion to make its first live broadcast, at a time when there were only c. 800 televiewers in the whole of Austria. The new auditorium had a reduced capacity of about 2,276, including 567 standing room places.[4] The ensemble, which had remained unified until the opening, crumbled in the following years, and slowly an international ensemble formed.

History of the company post-WW II

In 1945, the Wiener Mozart-Ensemble was formed, which put on world-renowned guest performances and became known particularly for its singing and playing culture. The Austrian conductor Josef Krips was the founder and mentor, who had only survived the Nazi era (given his Jewish heritage) thanks to luck and help from colleagues. At the end of the war, Krips started the renovation of the Staatoper, and was able to implement his aesthetic principles, including the departure from the Romantic Mozart ideal with a voluminous orchestral sound. Instead, qualities more associated with chamber music were featured, as well as a clearer, lighter sound, which would later come to be known as "typically Viennese". Singers who worked with Krips during this time were Erich Kunz, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Wilma Lipp, among others.

As early as 1947, the Mozart-Ensemble was playing guest performances at the Royal Opera House in London, with Mozart's Don Giovanni. Richard Tauber, who had fled from the Nazis, sang Don Ottavio; three months later he died, and was remembered for singing with "half a lung" in order to fulfil his dream, many other artists became associated with the Mozart-Ensemble, for example Karl Böhm, but their role was still greatly peripheral, in a straightforward or assisting role. This was the beginning of Krips' worldwide career, which would take him to the most prominent houses in the world. Until his death in 1974, Krips was regarded as one of the most important Maestri (conductors/music directors) of the Staatsoper.

On 1 July 1998, a historical broadcast took place, as Austria undertook its first presidency of the European Union. Fidelio was broadcast live from the Vienna State Opera to the 15 capital cities of the EU.

Today

The company

The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the Vienna Philharmonic, which is an incorporated society of its own, but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.

The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing 50 to 60 operas in a repertory system per year and ten ballet productions in more than 350 performances.[5] It is quite common to find a different opera being produced each day of a week. The Staatsoper employs over 1000 people. As of 2008, the annual operating budget of the Staatsoper was 100 million euros with slightly more than 50% as a state subsidy.

 
Gustav Mahler was artistic director of the Hofoper from 1897 to 1907

The company's 2019 production of Olga Neuwirth's opera Orlando marked the first production of an opera by a female composer in the history of the Vienna State Opera.[6]

Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler was one of the many conductors who have worked in Vienna. During his tenure (1897–1907), Mahler cultivated a new generation of singers, such as Anna Bahr-Mildenburg and Selma Kurz, and recruited a stage designer who replaced the lavish historical stage decors with sparse stage scenery corresponding to modernistic, Jugendstil tastes. Mahler also introduced the practice of dimming the lighting in the theatre during performances, which was initially not appreciated by the audience. However, Mahler's reforms were maintained by his successors.

Herbert von Karajan

 
Herbert von Karajan, artistic director of the Vienna State Opera from 1957 to 1964

Herbert von Karajan introduced the practice of performing operas exclusively in their original language instead of being translated into German. He also strengthened the ensemble and regular principal singers and introduced the policy of predominantly engaging guest singers. He began a collaboration with La Scala in Milan, in which both productions and orchestrations were shared. This created an opening for the prominent members of the Viennese ensemble to appear in Milan, especially to perform works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss.

Ballet companies merge

At the beginning of the 2005–2006 season, the ballet companies of the Staatsoper and the Vienna Volksoper were merged under the direction of Gyula Harangozó, which led to a reduction in the number of performers in the resulting ensemble. This has resulted in an increase in the number of guest stars engaged to work in the ballet. The practice of combining the two ballet companies proved an artistic failure, and Harangozó left when his contract expired in 2010.

From the 2010–2011 season a new company was formed called Wiener Staatsballet, Vienna State Ballet, under the direction of former Paris Opera Ballet principal dancer Manuel Legris. Legris eliminated Harangozós's policy of presenting nothing but traditional narrative ballets with guest artists in the leading roles, concentrated on establishing a strong in-house ensemble and restored evenings of mixed bill programs, featuring works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, and many contemporary choreographers, as well as a reduced schedule of the classic ballets.

140th anniversary season

2009 marked the 140th anniversary of the Vienna Opera House. To celebrate this milestone an idea designed to reach out and embrace a new audience was conceived. A giant 50 sqm screen was placed on the side of the opera house facing Kärntner Straße. In four months live broadcasts of over 60 famous operas were transmitted in this way, including performances of Madama Butterfly, The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni. This successful venture brought a new wave of operatic excitement to the many tourists and locals who experienced this cultural event. During daytime the screen displays a replica of the Opera House's façade, as it obstructs a considerable part of the building, along with information about upcoming performances.

The opera house and children

 
View from the Ring, on the roof the tent for children's performances (demounted in 2015 and now replaced by a special theatre)

The Vienna State Opera is particularly open to children: under Holender's direction (he has three children of his own), the opera house has become well known for its children's productions, which are performed in a tent on the roof of the Staatsoper. Recent examples include Peter Pan, Das Traumfresserchen [de] (The Dream Gobbler), Der 35. Mai (The 35th of May), C. F. E. Horneman's Aladdin, Bastien und Bastienne and Wagners Nibelungenring für Kinder (Wagner's Ring for children). In addition to this, there is a production of The Magic Flute every year for 9- and 10-year-olds, decorated like the Opernball.

The opera house also has an opera school for boys and girls between the ages of eight and fourteen, which takes place in the afternoons after regular school. The children are introduced to music theatre and the prospect of becoming opera singers. The company recruits singers for children's roles in its productions from this opera school. Twice every season there is a special matinée performance of the opera school. In 2006, the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, they performed a 20-minute miniature opera Der kleine Friedrich arranged from songs of Mozart by Janko Kastelic and Claudia Toman.

"Standing room only" audience

 
View of the orchestra pit and safety curtain The curtain Play as Cast was designed by Tacita Dean, and installed during the season 2004–2005.

Eighty minutes before each performance, cheap standing room tickets are sold (10).[4] These are popular with all age groups, and now have an almost legendary regular clientele, which is merciless in showing its displeasure with a performance loudly and unambiguously, but is even louder in voicing approval.[7][8]

Der Neue Merker

Every performance at the Vienna State Opera is reviewed by an independent company in the opera publication Der Neue Merker[9] (The New Judge) which is printed in about 2000 copies. This is unusual in that most opera magazines prefer to concentrate on new productions and premieres. There is an online version[10] parallel to the publication, which receives (as of March 2007) an average of 10,000 visitors a week, and therefore is one of the most successful German-language opera portals.

Opera ball

 
Debutants entry at the Vienna Opera Ball

For many decades, the opera house has been the venue of the Vienna Opera Ball. It is an internationally renowned event, which takes place annually on the last Thursday in Fasching. Those in attendance often include visitors from around the world, especially prominent names in business and politics. The opera ball receives media coverage from a range of outlets.

The opera ball in 1968 was the occasion for a protest, at which the organisation was criticised for being "elite" (due to the high prices), "conceited" (due to the opulent display of wealth for the newspapers and cameras) and "reactionary" (for upholding an allegedly outdated culture). There was violence between the demonstrators and the police.

Safety curtain

"Safety Curtain" is an exhibition series conceived by the non-profit art initiative museum in progress, which has been transforming the safety curtain of the Vienna State Opera into a temporary exhibition space for contemporary art since 1998.[11] A jury (Daniel Birnbaum and Hans-Ulrich Obrist) selects the artists whose works are attached to the safety curtain by means of magnets and are shown during the course of a season. Artists up to date: Pierre Alechinsky, Tauba Auerbach, John Baldessari, Matthew Barney, Thomas Bayrle, Tacita Dean, Cerith Wyn Evans, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Richard Hamilton, David Hockney, Christine & Irene Hohenbüchler, Joan Jonas, Martha Jungwirth, Jeff Koons, Maria Lassnig, Oswald Oberhuber, Giulio Paolini, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Rosemarie Trockel, Cy Twombly, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems and Franz West.[12]

Directors/General managers

In chronological order, the directors (or general managers) of the Staatsoper have been:

Artistic/Music Directors

Prominent artists who have appeared at the Staatsoper

Singers

Conductors

Directors, set designers, and costume designers

Opera title and year of debut at the Vienna State Opera in parentheses:

See also

References

  1. ^ "The 'Sunken Chest': The Building of the Vienna Court Opera on the Ring". Die Welt der Habsburger. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  2. ^ "The History of Opera in Vienna". Concert Vienna. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. ^ Tim Smith, "Vienna State Opera 50th Anniversary Reopening Gala: An Illustrious History", p. 4, PBS. Retrieved 12 April 2013
  4. ^ a b "Seating plan and admission prices" (in German). Vienna State Opera. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  5. ^ 2016/17 season, Vienna State Opera
  6. ^ "After 150 years, Vienna opera house stages first opera by a woman". The Guardian. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Vom Reiz der billigen Plätze" by Helmut Söring, Hamburger Abendblatt, 31 October 2006 (in German)
  8. ^ von Hornau, Phillipp (2012). Wien ist anders – Ist Wien anders? (in German). p. 631.
  9. ^ For "Merker", see Meistersinger
  10. ^ "Startseite". 16 February 2018.
  11. ^ Cf. Exhibition page "Safety Curtain", museum in progress
  12. ^ Kaspar Mühlemann Hartl, museum in progress; Dominique Meyer, Vienna State Opera (Ed.): CURTAIN – VORHANG. A Living Museum Space – The Vienna State Opera Safety Curtain, Vienna: Verlag für moderne Kunst 2017. ISBN 978-3-903228-11-5.
  13. ^ Michael Cooper (21 December 2016). "Sony Executive to Lead Vienna Opera". New York Times. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Philippe Jordan ab 2020 Musikdirektor der Wiener Staatsoper" (Press release). Vienna State Opera. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  15. ^ Michael Cooper (31 July 2017). "Philippe Jordan Will Lead the Vienna State Opera. Can He Bring Peace?". New York Times. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

External links

  • Official website
    • (Archives)
  • Wiener Staatsoper at Google Cultural Institute

vienna, state, opera, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, octob. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Vienna State Opera news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Vienna State Opera German Wiener Staatsoper IPA ˈviːnɐ ˈʃtaːt sˌʔoːpɐ is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna Austria The 1 709 seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Null and designs by Josef Hlavka The opera house was inaugurated as the Vienna Court Opera Wiener Hofoper in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria It became known by its current name after the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1921 The Vienna State Opera is the successor of the old Vienna Court Opera 1 built in 1636 inside the Hofburg The new site was chosen and the construction paid by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1861 2 Vienna State OperaFormer namesVienna Court Opera Wiener Hofoper LocationVienna AustriaPublic transitKarlsplatz 1 2 D 62 71 Opernring Bus 59AOwnerCity of ViennaTypeOpera houseCapacity1 709 seated 567 standingConstructionOpened25 May 1869ArchitectAugust Sicard von SicardsburgEduard van der NullBuilderJosef HlavkaWebsitewiener staatsoper atThe members of the Vienna Philharmonic are recruited from the Vienna State Opera s orchestra The building is also the home of the Vienna State Ballet and it hosts the annual Vienna Opera Ball during the carnival season Contents 1 History 1 1 History of the building 1 1 1 Construction 1 1 2 Public response 1 1 3 WW II bombing and redesign 1 2 History of the company post WW II 2 Today 2 1 The company 2 2 Gustav Mahler 2 3 Herbert von Karajan 2 4 Ballet companies merge 2 5 140th anniversary season 2 6 The opera house and children 2 7 Standing room only audience 2 8 Der Neue Merker 2 9 Opera ball 2 10 Safety curtain 3 Directors General managers 4 Artistic Music Directors 5 Prominent artists who have appeared at the Staatsoper 5 1 Singers 5 2 Conductors 5 3 Directors set designers and costume designers 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory Edit Construction site of the new building 1863 History of the building Edit Construction Edit The opera house was the first major building on the Vienna Ringstrasse commissioned by the Viennese city expansion fund Work commenced on the house in 1861 and was completed in 1869 following plans drawn up by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Null It was built in the Neo Renaissance style by the renowned Czech architect and contractor Josef Hlavka Play bill for the opening performance of the new Opernhaus announcing the opening performance of Don Giovanni on 25 May 1869 Coeval watercolour painting of the opening performance Kunsthistorisches Museum The Ministry of the Interior had commissioned a number of reports into the availability of certain building materials with the result that stones long not seen in Vienna were used such as Wollersdorfer Stein for plinths and free standing simply divided buttresses the famously hard stone from Kaisersteinbruch whose colour was more appropriate than that of Kelheimerstein for more lushly decorated parts The somewhat coarser grained Kelheimerstein also known as Solnhof Plattenstein was intended as the main stone to be used in the building of the opera house but the necessary quantity was not deliverable Breitenbrunner stone was suggested as a substitute for the Kelheimer stone and stone from Jois was used as a cheaper alternative to the Kaiserstein The staircases were constructed from polished Kaiserstein while most of the rest of the interior was decorated with varieties of marble The Hofoper c 1898 The decision was made to use dimension stone for the exterior of the building Due to the monumental demand for stone stone from Soskut widely used in Budapest was also used Three Viennese masonry companies were employed to supply enough masonry labour Eduard Hauser still in existence today Anton Wasserburger and Moritz Pranter The foundation stone was laid on 20 May 1863 Public response Edit The building was however not very popular with the public On the one hand it did not seem as grand as the Heinrichshof a private residence which was destroyed in World War II and replaced in 1955 by the Opernringhof Moreover because the level of Ringstrasse was raised by a metre in front of the opera house after its construction had begun the latter was likened to a sunken treasure chest and in analogy to the military disaster of 1866 the Battle of Koniggratz was deprecatingly referred to as the Koniggratz of architecture Eduard van der Null committed suicide and barely ten weeks later Sicardsburg died from tuberculosis so neither architect saw the completion of the building The opening premiere was Don Giovanni by Mozart on 25 May 1869 Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth Sissi were present WW II bombing and redesign Edit Play bill of the last performance in the old building Gotterdammerung 30 June 1944 Towards the end of World War II on 12 March 1945 the opera was set alight by an American bombardment citation needed The auditorium and stage were destroyed by flames as well as almost the entire decor and props for more than 120 operas with around 150 000 costumes The front section which had been walled off as a precaution however remained intact including the foyer with frescoes by Moritz von Schwind the main stairways the vestibule and the tea room The State Opera was temporarily housed at the Theater an der Wien and at the Vienna Volksoper Lengthy discussion took place about whether the opera house should be restored to its original state on its original site or whether it should be completely demolished and rebuilt either on the same location or on a different site Eventually the decision was made to rebuild the opera house as it had been and the main restoration experts involved were Ernst Kolb 1948 1952 and Udo Illig 1953 1956 The Austrian Federal Chancellor Leopold Figl made the decision in 1946 to have a functioning opera house again by 1949 An architectural competition was announced which was won by Erich Boltenstern The submissions had ranged from a complete restructuring of the auditorium to a replica of the original design Boltenstern decided on a design similar to the original with some modernisation in keeping with the design of the 1950s In order to achieve a good acoustic wood was the favoured building material at the advice of among others Arturo Toscanini In addition the number of seats in the parterre stalls was reduced and the fourth gallery which had been fitted with columns was restructured so as not to need columns The facade entrance hall and the Schwind foyer were restored and remain in their original style In the meantime the opera company which had at first been performing in the Volksoper had moved rehearsals and performances to Theater an der Wien where on 1 May 1945 after the liberation and re independence of Austria from the Nazis the first performances were given In 1947 the company went on tour to London Due to the appalling conditions at Theater an der Wien the opera company leadership tried to raise significant quantities of money to speed up reconstruction of the original opera house Many private donations were made as well as donations of building material from the Soviets who were very interested in the rebuilding of the opera The mayor of Vienna had receptacles placed in many sites around Vienna for people to donate coins only In this way everyone in Vienna could say they had participated in the reconstruction and feel pride in considering themselves part owners However in 1949 there was only a temporary roof on the Staatsoper as construction work continued It was not until 5 November 1955 after the Austrian State Treaty that the Staatsoper could be reopened with a performance of Beethoven s Fidelio conducted by Karl Bohm 3 The American Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was present The state broadcaster ORF used the occasion to make its first live broadcast at a time when there were only c 800 televiewers in the whole of Austria The new auditorium had a reduced capacity of about 2 276 including 567 standing room places 4 The ensemble which had remained unified until the opening crumbled in the following years and slowly an international ensemble formed History of the company post WW II Edit In 1945 the Wiener Mozart Ensemble was formed which put on world renowned guest performances and became known particularly for its singing and playing culture The Austrian conductor Josef Krips was the founder and mentor who had only survived the Nazi era given his Jewish heritage thanks to luck and help from colleagues At the end of the war Krips started the renovation of the Staatoper and was able to implement his aesthetic principles including the departure from the Romantic Mozart ideal with a voluminous orchestral sound Instead qualities more associated with chamber music were featured as well as a clearer lighter sound which would later come to be known as typically Viennese Singers who worked with Krips during this time were Erich Kunz Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Wilma Lipp among others As early as 1947 the Mozart Ensemble was playing guest performances at the Royal Opera House in London with Mozart s Don Giovanni Richard Tauber who had fled from the Nazis sang Don Ottavio three months later he died and was remembered for singing with half a lung in order to fulfil his dream many other artists became associated with the Mozart Ensemble for example Karl Bohm but their role was still greatly peripheral in a straightforward or assisting role This was the beginning of Krips worldwide career which would take him to the most prominent houses in the world Until his death in 1974 Krips was regarded as one of the most important Maestri conductors music directors of the Staatsoper On 1 July 1998 a historical broadcast took place as Austria undertook its first presidency of the European Union Fidelio was broadcast live from the Vienna State Opera to the 15 capital cities of the EU Rear of the opera house showing the stage wings A marble staircase between the main entrance and the first floor One of the lobbies Emperor s private room The auditorium Central chandelier in the auditorium Exterior of the buildingToday EditThe company Edit The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the Vienna Philharmonic which is an incorporated society of its own but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing 50 to 60 operas in a repertory system per year and ten ballet productions in more than 350 performances 5 It is quite common to find a different opera being produced each day of a week The Staatsoper employs over 1000 people As of 2008 the annual operating budget of the Staatsoper was 100 million euros with slightly more than 50 as a state subsidy Gustav Mahler was artistic director of the Hofoper from 1897 to 1907 The company s 2019 production of Olga Neuwirth s opera Orlando marked the first production of an opera by a female composer in the history of the Vienna State Opera 6 Gustav Mahler Edit See also Repertory of the Vienna Court Opera under Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler was one of the many conductors who have worked in Vienna During his tenure 1897 1907 Mahler cultivated a new generation of singers such as Anna Bahr Mildenburg and Selma Kurz and recruited a stage designer who replaced the lavish historical stage decors with sparse stage scenery corresponding to modernistic Jugendstil tastes Mahler also introduced the practice of dimming the lighting in the theatre during performances which was initially not appreciated by the audience However Mahler s reforms were maintained by his successors Herbert von Karajan Edit Herbert von Karajan artistic director of the Vienna State Opera from 1957 to 1964 Herbert von Karajan introduced the practice of performing operas exclusively in their original language instead of being translated into German He also strengthened the ensemble and regular principal singers and introduced the policy of predominantly engaging guest singers He began a collaboration with La Scala in Milan in which both productions and orchestrations were shared This created an opening for the prominent members of the Viennese ensemble to appear in Milan especially to perform works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss Ballet companies merge Edit At the beginning of the 2005 2006 season the ballet companies of the Staatsoper and the Vienna Volksoper were merged under the direction of Gyula Harangozo which led to a reduction in the number of performers in the resulting ensemble This has resulted in an increase in the number of guest stars engaged to work in the ballet The practice of combining the two ballet companies proved an artistic failure and Harangozo left when his contract expired in 2010 From the 2010 2011 season a new company was formed called Wiener Staatsballet Vienna State Ballet under the direction of former Paris Opera Ballet principal dancer Manuel Legris Legris eliminated Harangozos s policy of presenting nothing but traditional narrative ballets with guest artists in the leading roles concentrated on establishing a strong in house ensemble and restored evenings of mixed bill programs featuring works of George Balanchine Jerome Robbins Jiri Kylian William Forsythe and many contemporary choreographers as well as a reduced schedule of the classic ballets 140th anniversary season Edit 2009 marked the 140th anniversary of the Vienna Opera House To celebrate this milestone an idea designed to reach out and embrace a new audience was conceived A giant 50 sqm screen was placed on the side of the opera house facing Karntner Strasse In four months live broadcasts of over 60 famous operas were transmitted in this way including performances of Madama Butterfly The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni This successful venture brought a new wave of operatic excitement to the many tourists and locals who experienced this cultural event During daytime the screen displays a replica of the Opera House s facade as it obstructs a considerable part of the building along with information about upcoming performances The opera house and children Edit View from the Ring on the roof the tent for children s performances demounted in 2015 and now replaced by a special theatre The Vienna State Opera is particularly open to children under Holender s direction he has three children of his own the opera house has become well known for its children s productions which are performed in a tent on the roof of the Staatsoper Recent examples include Peter Pan Das Traumfresserchen de The Dream Gobbler Der 35 Mai The 35th of May C F E Horneman s Aladdin Bastien und Bastienne and Wagners Nibelungenring fur Kinder Wagner s Ring for children In addition to this there is a production of The Magic Flute every year for 9 and 10 year olds decorated like the Opernball The opera house also has an opera school for boys and girls between the ages of eight and fourteen which takes place in the afternoons after regular school The children are introduced to music theatre and the prospect of becoming opera singers The company recruits singers for children s roles in its productions from this opera school Twice every season there is a special matinee performance of the opera school In 2006 the 250th anniversary of Mozart s birth they performed a 20 minute miniature opera Der kleine Friedrich arranged from songs of Mozart by Janko Kastelic and Claudia Toman Standing room only audience Edit View of the orchestra pit and safety curtain The curtain Play as Cast was designed by Tacita Dean and installed during the season 2004 2005 Eighty minutes before each performance cheap standing room tickets are sold 10 4 These are popular with all age groups and now have an almost legendary regular clientele which is merciless in showing its displeasure with a performance loudly and unambiguously but is even louder in voicing approval 7 8 Der Neue Merker Edit Every performance at the Vienna State Opera is reviewed by an independent company in the opera publication Der Neue Merker 9 The New Judge which is printed in about 2000 copies This is unusual in that most opera magazines prefer to concentrate on new productions and premieres There is an online version 10 parallel to the publication which receives as of March 2007 an average of 10 000 visitors a week and therefore is one of the most successful German language opera portals Opera ball Edit Debutants entry at the Vienna Opera Ball For many decades the opera house has been the venue of the Vienna Opera Ball It is an internationally renowned event which takes place annually on the last Thursday in Fasching Those in attendance often include visitors from around the world especially prominent names in business and politics The opera ball receives media coverage from a range of outlets The opera ball in 1968 was the occasion for a protest at which the organisation was criticised for being elite due to the high prices conceited due to the opulent display of wealth for the newspapers and cameras and reactionary for upholding an allegedly outdated culture There was violence between the demonstrators and the police Safety curtain Edit Safety Curtain is an exhibition series conceived by the non profit art initiative museum in progress which has been transforming the safety curtain of the Vienna State Opera into a temporary exhibition space for contemporary art since 1998 11 A jury Daniel Birnbaum and Hans Ulrich Obrist selects the artists whose works are attached to the safety curtain by means of magnets and are shown during the course of a season Artists up to date Pierre Alechinsky Tauba Auerbach John Baldessari Matthew Barney Thomas Bayrle Tacita Dean Cerith Wyn Evans Dominique Gonzalez Foerster Richard Hamilton David Hockney Christine amp Irene Hohenbuchler Joan Jonas Martha Jungwirth Jeff Koons Maria Lassnig Oswald Oberhuber Giulio Paolini Rirkrit Tiravanija Rosemarie Trockel Cy Twombly Kara Walker Carrie Mae Weems and Franz West 12 Directors General managers EditIn chronological order the directors or general managers of the Staatsoper have been Franz von Dingelstedt 1867 70 Johann von Herbeck 1870 75 Franz von Jauner 1875 80 Wilhelm Jahn 1881 97 Gustav Mahler 1897 1907 Felix Weingartner Edler von Munzberg first term 1908 11 Hans Gregor 1911 18 Richard Strauss Franz Schalk 1919 24 Franz Schalk 1924 29 Clemens Krauss 1929 34 Felix von Weingartner second term 1935 36 Erwin Kerber de 1936 40 Heinrich Karl Strohm 1940 41 Lothar Muthel 1941 42 Karl Bohm first term 1943 45 Franz Salmhofer 1945 54 Karl Bohm second term 1954 56 Herbert von Karajan 1956 1964 Egon Hilbert 1964 68 Heinrich Reif Gintl 1968 72 Rudolf Gamsjager 1972 76 Egon Seefehlner first term 1976 82 Lorin Maazel 1982 84 Egon Seefehlner second term 1984 86 Claus Helmut Drese 1986 91 Eberhard Wachter 1991 92 Ioan Holender 1992 2010 Dominique Meyer 2010 2020 Bogdan Roscic 2020 present 13 Artistic Music Directors EditRichard Strauss 1919 1924 Bruno Walter 1936 1938 Claudio Abbado 1986 1991 Seiji Ozawa 2002 2010 Franz Welser Most 2010 2014 Philippe Jordan 2020 present 14 15 Prominent artists who have appeared at the Staatsoper EditSingers Edit Theo Adam Ain Anger Giacomo Aragall Agnes Baltsa Polly Batic Gabriela Benackova Ettore Bastianini Piotr Beczala Teresa Berganza Walter Berry Jussi Bjorling Franco Bonisolli Montserrat Caballe Maria Callas Jose Carreras Enrico Caruso Mimi Coertse Franco Corelli Jose Cura Oskar Czerwenka Giuseppe Di Stefano Placido Domingo 50th jubilee in May 2017 Otto Edelmann Anny Felbermayer Juan Diego Florez Mirella Freni Ferruccio Furlanetto Elina Garanca Nicolai Gedda Angela Gheorghiu Nicolai Ghiaurov Tito Gobbi Edita Gruberova 40th jubilee in September 2008 50th jubilee in June 2018 Thomas Hampson Hans Hotter Gundula Janowitz Maria Jeritza Gwyneth Jones Sena Jurinac Vesselina Kasarova Jonas Kaufmann Angelika Kirchschlager Alfredo Kraus Elisabeth Kulman Erich Kunz Selma Kurz Christa Ludwig final operatic performance in Elektra 1994 Eva Marton Anna Moffo Anna Netrebko Birgit Nilsson Jessye Norman Jarmila Novotna Hasmik Papian Luciano Pavarotti Alfred Piccaver Lucia Popp Hermann Prey Leontyne Price Gianni Raimondi Ruggero Raimondi Maria Reining Leonie Rysanek Matti Salminen Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Renata Scotto Cesare Siepi Giulietta Simionato Bo Skovhus Nina Stemme Michail Svetlev Giuseppe Taddei Martti Talvela Richard Tauber Renata Tebaldi Bryn Terfel Rolando Villazon Eberhard Wachter Otto Wiener Fritz Wunderlich Heinz Zednik Conductors Edit Claudio Abbado Kurt Adler Gerd Albrecht Ernest Ansermet Leonard Bernstein Karl Bohm Semyon Bychkov Riccardo Chailly Andre Cluytens Colin Davis Victor de Sabata Hubert Deutsch Antal Dorati Christoph von Dohnanyi Gustavo Dudamel Wilhelm Furtwangler John Eliot Gardiner Daniele Gatti Gianandrea Gavazzeni Michael Gielen Leopold Hager Daniel Harding Nikolaus Harnoncourt Paul Hindemith Heinrich Hollreiser Philippe Jordan Carlos Kleiber Erich Kleiber Berislav Klobucar Hans Knappertsbusch Clemens Krauss Josef Krips Rafael Kubelik Jan Latham Koenig Erich Leinsdorf Lorin Maazel Charles Mackerras Ernst Marzendorfer Zubin Mehta Dimitri Mitropoulos Francesco Molinari Pradelli Pierre Monteux Rudolf Moralt Lovro von Matacic Riccardo Muti Andris Nelsons Roger Norrington Daniel Oren Antonio Pappano John Pritchard Simon Rattle Hugo Reichenberger Fritz Reiner Hans Richter Mario Rossi Nello Santi Michael Schonwandt Leif Segerstam Tullio Serafin Giuseppe Sinopoli Leonard Slatkin Georg Solti Horst Stein Pinchas Steinberg Igor Stravinsky Otmar Suitner Robert Stolz Richard Strauss Christian Thielemann Arturo Toscanini Silvio Varviso Marcello Viotti Antonino Votto Bruno Walter Felix Weingartner Alberto Zedda Directors set designers and costume designers Edit Opera title and year of debut at the Vienna State Opera in parentheses Gae Aulenti Il viaggio a Reims 1988 Boleslaw Barlog Salome 1972 Sven Eric Bechtolf Arabella 2006 Ruth Berghaus Fierrabras 1990 Milena Canonero Il trittico 1979 Robert Carsen Jerusalem 1995 Giulio Chazalettes Attila 1980 Luciano Damiani Don Giovanni 1967 Dieter Dorn Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail 1979 August Everding Tristan und Isolde 1967 Piero Faggioni Norma 1977 Jurgen Flimm Der ferne Klang 1991 Gotz Friedrich Moses und Aron 1973 Ezio Frigerio Norma 1977 Josef Gielen Madama Butterfly 1957 Peter J Hall Le nozze di Figaro 1991 Karl Ernst Herrmann Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail 1989 Vaclav Kaslik Idomeneo 1971 Jorge Lavelli Der Prozess 1970 Alfred Kirchner Khovanchina 1989 Harry Kupfer Die schwarze Maske 1986 Lotfi Mansouri La fanciulla del west 1978 Gian Carlo Menotti La Cenerentola 1981 Jonathan Miller Le nozze di Figaro 1991 Giancarlo del Monaco La forza del destino 1989 Hans Neuenfels Le Prophete 1998 Hermann Nitsch Herodiade 1995 Adrian Noble Alcina 2010 Timothy O Brien Turandot 1983 Tom O Horgan Les Troyens 1976 Laurent Pelly La fille du regiment 2007 Pier Luigi Pizzi as stage designer La forza del destino 1974 as director Don Carlo 1989 Jean Pierre Ponnelle Manon 1971 David Pountney Rienzi 1997 Harold Prince Turandot 1983 Gianni Quaranta Samson et Dalila 1988 Gunther Rennert Il barbiere di Siviglia 1966 Luca Ronconi Il viaggio a Reims 1988 Ken Russell Faust 1985 Filippo Sanjust Ariadne auf Naxos 1976 Johannes Schaaf Idomeneo 1987 Otto Schenk Jenufa 1964 Yuval Sharon Tri Sestri 2016 Franca Squarciapino Norma 1977 Peter Stein Simon Boccanegra 2002 Giorgio Strehler Simon Boccanegra 1984 Josef Svoboda Idomeneo 1971 Istvan Szabo Il trovatore 1993 Carl Toms Faust 1985 Luchino Visconti Falstaff 1966 Antoine Vitez Pelleas et Melisande 1988 Wieland Wagner Lohengrin 1965 Margarete Wallmann Tosca 1958 Anthony Ward Alcina 2010 Herbert Wernicke I vespri siciliani 1998 Peter Wood Macbeth 1981 Franco Zeffirelli La boheme 1964 See also Edit Opera portalCarltheater Ringtheater Theater am KarntnertorReferences Edit The Sunken Chest The Building of the Vienna Court Opera on the Ring Die Welt der Habsburger Retrieved 9 June 2020 The History of Opera in Vienna Concert Vienna Retrieved 9 June 2020 Tim Smith Vienna State Opera 50th Anniversary Reopening Gala An Illustrious History p 4 PBS Retrieved 12 April 2013 a b Seating plan and admission prices in German Vienna State Opera Retrieved 17 July 2013 2016 17 season Vienna State Opera After 150 years Vienna opera house stages first opera by a woman The Guardian 24 November 2019 Retrieved 24 November 2019 Vom Reiz der billigen Platze by Helmut Soring Hamburger Abendblatt 31 October 2006 in German von Hornau Phillipp 2012 Wien ist anders Ist Wien anders in German p 631 For Merker see Meistersinger Startseite 16 February 2018 Cf Exhibition page Safety Curtain museum in progress Kaspar Muhlemann Hartl museum in progress Dominique Meyer Vienna State Opera Ed CURTAIN VORHANG A Living Museum Space The Vienna State Opera Safety Curtain Vienna Verlag fur moderne Kunst 2017 ISBN 978 3 903228 11 5 Michael Cooper 21 December 2016 Sony Executive to Lead Vienna Opera New York Times Retrieved 31 July 2017 Philippe Jordan ab 2020 Musikdirektor der Wiener Staatsoper Press release Vienna State Opera 31 July 2017 Retrieved 31 July 2017 Michael Cooper 31 July 2017 Philippe Jordan Will Lead the Vienna State Opera Can He Bring Peace New York Times Retrieved 31 July 2017 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vienna State Opera Official website Archives Wiener Staatsoper at Google Cultural Institute Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vienna State Opera amp oldid 1129098056, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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