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| Former names | Vienna Court Opera (Wiener Hofoper) |
|---|---|
| Location | Vienna, Austria |
| Coordinates | 48°12′10″N16°22′06.5″E / 48.20278°N 16.368472°E /48.20278; 16.368472 |
| Public transit |     Karlsplatz, 12D6271 Opernring,Bus 59A |
| Owner | City of Vienna |
| Type | Opera house |
| Capacity | 1,709 seated, 567 standing |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 25 May 1869 |
| Architect | August Sicard von Sicardsburg Eduard van der Nüll |
| Builder | Josef Hlávka |
| Website | |
| wiener-staatsoper.at | |
TheVienna State Opera (German:Wiener Staatsoper,IPA:[ˈviːnɐˈʃtaːtsˌʔoːpɐ]) is a historicopera house and opera company based inVienna, Austria. The 1,709-seatRenaissance Revival venue was the first major building on theVienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans byAugust Sicard von Sicardsburg andEduard van der Nüll, and designs byJosef Hlávka. The opera house was inaugurated as the "Vienna Court Opera" (Wiener Hofoper) in the presence ofEmperor Franz Joseph I andEmpress Elisabeth of Austria. It became known by its current name after the establishment of theFirst Austrian Republic in 1921. The Vienna State Opera is the successor of the old Vienna Court Opera[1] (built in 1636 inside theHofburg). The new site was chosen and the construction paid byEmperor Franz Joseph in 1861.[2]
The members of theVienna Philharmonic are recruited from the Vienna State Opera's orchestra. The building is also the home of theVienna State Ballet, and it hosts the annualVienna Opera Ball during the carnival season.
The opera house was the first major building on the ViennaRingstrasse commissioned by the Viennese "city expansion fund". Work commenced on the house in 1861 and was completed in 1869, following plans drawn up by architectsAugust Sicard von Sicardsburg andEduard van der Nüll. It was built in theNeo-Renaissance style by the Czech architect and contractorJosef Hlávka.
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 asWöllersdorfer Stein, for plinths and free-standing, simply-divided buttresses, the famously hard stone fromKaisersteinbruch, whose colour was more appropriate than that ofKelheimerstein, for more lushly decorated parts. The somewhat coarser-grained Kelheimerstein (also known asSolnhof 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 fromJois 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 ofmarble.
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The decision was made to usedimension stone for the exterior of the building. Due to the monumental demand for stone, stone fromSóskút, widely used inBudapest, 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.
The building, however, was not particularly well-received by the public. For one, it lacked the grandeur of the Heinrichshof, a private residence destroyed during World War II and later replaced in 1955 by the Opernringhof. Additionally, the opera house’s construction was overshadowed by an unexpected issue: the level of the Ringstraße in front of the building was raised by a metre after construction had already commenced, the latter was likened to "a sunken treasure chest" and, in analogy to the military disaster of 1866 (theBattle 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 wasDon Giovanni, byMozart, on 25 May 1869.Emperor Franz Josef andEmpress Elisabeth (Sissi) were present.
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 asAnna Bahr-Mildenburg andSelma 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.
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 thefoyer, withfrescoes byMoritz von Schwind, the main stairways, the vestibule and the tea room. The State Opera was temporarily housed at theTheater an der Wien and at theVienna 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 AustrianFederal ChancellorLeopold 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 good acoustics, wood was the favoured building material, on 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 toTheater 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 theAustrian State Treaty, that the Staatsoper could be reopened with a performance ofBeethoven'sFidelio, conducted byKarl Böhm.[3] The American Secretary of State,John Foster Dulles, was present. The state broadcasterORF 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.
In 1945, the Wiener Mozart-Ensemble was formed, which put on guest performances and became known particularly for its singing and playing culture. The Austrian conductorJosef 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 wereErich Kunz,Elisabeth Schwarzkopf andWilma Lipp, among others.
As early as 1947, the Mozart-Ensemble was playing guest performances at theRoyal Opera House in London, with Mozart'sDon Giovanni.Richard Tauber, who had fled from the Nazis, sangDon 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 exampleKarl 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 importantMaestri (conductors/music directors) of the Staatsoper.
On 1 July 1998, a historical broadcast took place, as Austria undertook its first presidency of theEuropean Union.Fidelio was broadcast live from the Vienna State Opera to the 15 capital cities of the EU.
The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to theVienna Philharmonic, which is an incorporated society of its own, but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.
TheWiener Staatsoper is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing 50 to 60 operas in arepertory 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. TheStaatsoper employs over 1000 people. As of 2008, the annual operating budget of theStaatsoper was 100 million euros with slightly more than 50% as a state subsidy.
The company's 2019 production ofOlga Neuwirth's operaOrlando marked the first production of an opera by a female composer in the history of the Vienna State Opera.[6]
Herbert von Karajan introduced the practice of performing operas exclusively in their original language instead of being translated into German. He also strengthened theensemble and regular principal singers and introduced the policy of predominantly engaging guest singers. He began a collaboration withLa 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 byWolfgang Amadeus Mozart andRichard Strauss.
At the beginning of the 2005–2006 season, the ballet companies of the Staatsoper and theVienna 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 calledWiener Staatsballet,Vienna State Ballet, under the direction of formerParis Opera Ballet principal dancerManuel Legris. Legris eliminated Harangozós's policy of presenting nothing but traditionalnarrative 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 ofGeorge Balanchine,Jerome Robbins,Jiří Kylián,William Forsythe, and many contemporary choreographers, as well as a reduced schedule of the classic ballets.
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 facingKärntner Straße. In four months live broadcasts of over 60 famous operas were transmitted in this way, including performances ofMadama Butterfly,The Magic Flute andDon 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 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 includePeter Pan,Das Traumfresserchen [de] (The Dream Gobbler),Der 35. Mai (The 35th of May),C. F. E. Horneman'sAladdin,Bastien und Bastienne andWagners Nibelungenring für Kinder (Wagner'sRing for children). In addition to this, there is a production ofThe Magic Flute every year for 9- and 10-year-olds, decorated like theOpernball.
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 operaDer kleine Friedrich arranged from songs of Mozart byJanko Kastelic and Claudia Toman.
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 itsdispleasure with a performance loudly and unambiguously, but is even louder in voicing approval.[7][8]
Every performance at the Vienna State Opera is reviewed by an independent company in the opera publicationDer 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.
For many decades, the opera house has been the venue of theVienna Opera Ball. It is an event, which takes place annually on the last Thursday inFasching. 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" is an exhibition series conceived by the non-profit art initiativemuseum in progress, which has been transforming thesafety curtain of the Vienna State Opera into a temporary exhibition space for contemporary art since 1998.[11] A jury (Daniel Birnbaum andHans-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 andFranz West.[12]
In chronological order, the directors (or general managers) of the Staatsoper have been:
Opera title and year of debut at the Vienna State Opera in parentheses:
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