| Divadlo Reduta | |
 The Reduta Theatre building | |
 Interactive map of Reduta Theatre | |
| Address | Zelný trh 313 Brno Czech Republic |
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| Coordinates | 49°11′31.67″N16°36′34.59″E / 49.1921306°N 16.6096083°E /49.1921306; 16.6096083 |
| Opened | 1608 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
TheReduta Theatre (Czech:Divadlo Reduta) is a theatre inBrno,Czech Republic. It was built on the city's oldest square (Zelný trh) and began its life inRenaissance times as the Taverna (Tavern) Theatre. In 1767,Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed withhis sister in a concert there. It is now part of theNational Theatre in Brno. The building, which was first mentioned in 1608, is the oldest theatre building inCentral Europe.[1]
At the beginning of the 17th century, Brno city council purchased and remodelled a complex of medieval houses located on Zelný trh. One of the houses in the block, the Liechtenstein house, was redesigned as atavern in 1605.[2] The tavern was extended with assembly rooms for holding ceremonies and receptions, and in 1634, another house was integrated into the main building. The new hall served as a place for occasional performances by travelling theatrical companies. In the 1730s, the building was remodelled again with the addition of a new theater and ballroom.[2] Known in the 18th century as theTaverna Theatre (orTheater in der Taffern to the German-speaking inhabitants of the city),[3] it served as a venue for theatrical performances presented mainly inGerman andItalian.[2]
In October 1767, asmallpox epidemic forcedLeopold Mozart and his childrenWolfgang andNannerl to escape from Vienna and accept shelter offered by the brother of their patron,SalzburgArchbishopSigismund von Schrattenbach.[4] On 25 October,Count František Antonín Schrattenbach met with theMozart family inBrno. He immediately began planning a performance for Wolfgang and Nannerl. However, Leopold Mozart decided to continue travelling, and the family went on toOlomouc. Unfortunately, the epidemic affected young Wolfgang, and they had to stay in Olomouc until his recovery. On 24 December, they came back to Brno and spent Christmas there. On 30 December 1767, thechild prodigies performed in the Taverna Theatre.[5] According to a diary entry by Aurelius Augustin,provost of the monastery inŠternberk:
"... a Salzburg boy of eleven years and his sister of fifteen years, accompanied on various instruments by inhabitants of Brno, excited everyone's imagination; but he [young Wolfgang] could not endure thetrumpets, because they were incapable of playing in tune with one another."[6]
On the other hand, Vice-Kapellmeister Leopold Mozart was fully satisfied with the orchestra performance. On 9 January 1768, the family headed back to Vienna.[7]
After a series of extensive fires in 1785 and 1786, the city council decided to rebuild the theatre in theneoclassical architectural style, with a new two-story main hall.[2] The reconstructed theatre, now named the Reduta Theatre, presented mainly German plays, with performances in Czech held only infrequently. The last devastating fire in 1870 caused the theatre to close again, after which the building was used as the city market hall. In 1918, following the establishment of the newCzechoslovak state, the activities of the theatre were again restored.[2] In the 1950s, the building was redesigned according to the plans of architectsBohuslav and Kamil Fuchs. Up to the 1990s, the theatre served as a stage for Czechoperettas.
The last reconstruction was completed in 2005. The project was awarded theGrand Prix in a competition held by theCzech Chamber of Architects.[8] As of 2010, the theatre is a part of theNational Theatre in Brno. Reduta has no permanent ensemble. The theatre regularly invites various artists and ensembles from the Czech Republic andSlovakia for guest performances.[1]
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