| Lviv National Opera | |
|---|---|
Львівський Національний академічний театр опери та балету імені Соломії Крушельницької | |
 The Lviv Opera as seen fromFreedom Avenue [uk] | |
 Interactive map of Lviv National Opera | |
| Former names | Lemberger Oper, Opera Lwowska,Teatr Wielki, Solomia Krushelnytska Lviv National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet |
| General information | |
| Type | Opera house |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Location | Svobody av., 28,Lviv, Ukraine |
| Groundbreaking | 1897 |
| Completed | 1900 |
| Opened | October 4, 1900 (1900-10-04) |
| Renovated | 1989–1994 |
| Owner | National |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Zygmunt Gorgolewski |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,100 |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheSolomiya Krushelnytska Lviv State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Ukrainian:Львівський Національний академічний театр опери та балету імені Соломії Крушельницької,romanized: Lvivskyi Natsionalnyi akademichnyi teatr opery ta baletu imeni Solomii Krushelnytskoi) orLviv Opera (Ukrainian:Львівська оперa,romanized: Lvivska opera,Polish:Opera Lwowska) is anopera house located inLviv, designed by Polish architectZygmunt Gorgolewski. Originally built on formermarshland of the submergedPoltva River, the Lviv Opera now located onFreedom Avenue [uk] (Ukrainian:Проспект Свободи), the tree-lined centrepiece of Lviv'shistoric Old City, aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site located in the city'sHalych district.
According to the inscription in thetheatre lobby, the building was constructed between 1897 and 1900. Originally built when Lviv was the capital of theautonomous province of Galicia in theAustro-Hungarian Empire, the Lviv Opera (German:Lemberger Oper) first stood at the end ofArchduke Karl Ludwig Avenue, was later known as the Grand Theatre (Polish:Teatr Wielki) of theSecond Polish Republic, and during the time ofSoviet rule, entering patrons would pass by a towering statue ofVladimir Lenin. For four decades, the theatre was known as theIvan Franko Lviv State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, having been renamed in 1956 after the city's famous poet and political activist on the centenary of his birth.
In 2000, marking itscentennial the Lviv Opera was renamed afterSolomiya Krushelnytska, a renownedsoprano of the early 20th century.
At the end of the 19th century, the civic leaders ofLviv felt the need for a large city theatre to be situated in the capital ofGalicia. In 1895, the city announced anarchitectural design competition, which attracted a large number of submissions.[1] Among the participants were theViennese architectsFellner & Helmer, whose entry was rejected as too international andeclectic.[2]
An independent jury chose the design byZygmunt Gorgolewski,[3] a graduate of theBerlinBuilding Academy and the director of city'sEngineering Academy. Gorgolewski pleasantly surprised the jury by planning to locate the building in the centre of the city, despite the area having been already densely built-up. In order to solve the space problem, he boldly proposed to enclose thePoltva River underground, and instead of using a traditionalfoundation, utilized—for the first time in Europe—areinforced concrete base.[1]
In June 1897, thecornerstone was placed. Gorgolewski oversawconstruction,earthwork and design, employing the leadingstonemasons from the city and beyond. Local materials were used wherever possible, howevermarble elements were manufactured inVienna, speciallinen for painting in thefoyer was imported from Belgium. The German companySiemens, ran the electrical wiring and lights, while thehydraulic mechanization of thestage was built by thePolish railway workshop company inSanok.[1]
Construction continued for three years. Funding came from the city, the surrounding communities, and from voluntary donations. The cost of the works totaled 2.4 millionAustrian crowns.[4]
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The Lviv Opera opened on October 4, 1900. The cultural elite—painters, writers, and composers, as well as delegations from various European theatres—attended the opening festivities. Among the guests attending the ceremony were writerHenryk Sienkiewicz, composerIgnacy Jan Paderewski, the painterHenryk Siemiradzki,[5] theChief magistrate of LvivGodzimir Małachowski, theprovincial governorLeon Piniński and head of theprovincial assemblyCount Stanisław Badeni. Due to recent deaths of both theRoman Catholic andGreek Catholicarchbishops, the building was blessed by theArmenian Catholic archbishop ofLviv, Izaak Mikołaj Isakowicz, alongsiderabbi Ezechiel Caro and the Protestant pastor Garfel.[citation needed]
The grand opening gala that evening included excerpts fromJan Kasprowicz andSeweryn Berson'sballetBaśń nocy świętojańskiej (Tale of the Midsummer Night),Władysław Żeleński's operaJanek, andAleksander Fredro's comedyOdludki (Recluses).[citation needed]
Stories remain that despite the engineering innovations used by Gorgolewski to construct the foundation of the building, it began to slowly sink because of the Poltva river running underneath it in a tunnel. In July 1903 he died suddenly of paralysis of theaorta.[6] After some initial settling, the building ceased 'sinking' and remains stable to this day, owing to the innovative design of Gorgolewski.[citation needed]
In April 1990, immediately prior to thefall of the Soviet Union, the first performance of the Ukraine's national anthem,Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia, was held at the theatre.[citation needed]
The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is built in the classical tradition using forms and details ofRenaissance Revival andNeo-Baroque architectural styles. There are also elements ofArt Nouveau. Thestucco mouldings andoil paintings on the walls and ceilings of the multi-tieredauditorium and foyer give it a richly festive appearance. The building'sfaçade is decorated with numerous niches,Corinthian columns,pilasters,balustrades,cornices, statues,reliefs and stucco garlands. Standing in niches on either side of the main entrance are allegorical figures representing Comedy and Tragedy sculpted byAntoni Popiel andTadeusz Barącz; figures ofmuses embellish the top of thecornice. The building is crowned by large bronze statues, symbolizing Glory, Poetry and Music.[7]
The theatre became a centrefold of the achievements in sculpture and painting of Western Europe at the end of the 19th century. The internal decoration was prepared by some of the most renowned Polish artists of the time. Among them wereStanisław Wójcik (allegorical sculptures of Poetry, Music, Fame, Fortune, Comedy and Tragedy),Julian Markowski,Tadeusz Wiśniowiecki,Tadeusz Barącz,Piotr Wojtowicz (relief depicting thecoat of arms of Lviv),Juliusz Bełtowski (bas-relief of Gorgolewski) andAntoni Popiel (sculptures of Muses decorating the façade).[citation needed]
Among the painters to decorate the interior wereTadeusz Popiel (staircases),Stanisław Rejchan (main hall),Stanisław Dębicki,Stanisław Kaczor-Batowski andMarceli Harasimowicz (foyer). The team supervised by these artists included the paintersAleksander Augustynowicz,Ludwik Kohler,Walery Kryciński,Henryk Kuhn,Edward Pietsch,Zygmunt Rozwadowski,Tadeusz Rybkowski andJulian Zuber. The maincurtain was decorated by the Polish painterHenryk Siemiradzki.[citation needed]
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a.^The Habsburg Empire. The World of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in Original Photographs 1840–1916 by Franz Hubmann, Vienna, 1971, attributes this theatre to Fellner & Helmer.
Media related toLviv Opera House at Wikimedia Commons| Geographic | |
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