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| A 1010 Vienna, Opernring 2 |
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+43-(0)1- 51444-2250 |
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+43-(0)1- 51444-2969 |
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information@wiener-staatsoper.at |
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Telephone ticket
sales
for holders of credit cards
Monday to Sunday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
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+43-(0)1- 513 1 513 |
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Telephone ticket sales From the day
after advence ticket sales start |
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Nutzen Sie auch die Online
Bestellmöglichkeit
auf der Homepage des Anbieters |
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| Approximately 50 operas and 20 ballets are offered in
the repertoire every season, which runs from 1 September to 30 June. It
is not, however, the number which is important (although it is not
equaled by any other opera house in the world) rather the variety
offered by this House and all at the highest levels of artistry. An
artistic corner stone of the house is the permanently engaged ensemble
of singers, always complemented by international guest singers. A great
number of world stars have come from among the members of the Wiener
Staatsoper ensemble. General Director Ioan Holender has discovered for
the Wiener Staatsoper, and thereby for the international music world, a
large number of young singers such as Natalie Dessay Barbara Frittoli,
Angela Gheorghiu, Vesselina Kasarova, Angelika Kirchschlager, Andrea
Rost, Michael Schade, Bo Skovhus, Bryn Terfel and Ramón Vargas. |
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| Die Zauberflöte |
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Giselle |
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| Die Fledermaus |
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La sonnambula |
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| Falstaff |
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L'elisir d'amore |
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| A further fact: the members of the Wiener
Philhamoniker orchestra are recruited from the Wiener Staatsoper
orchestra. It can be said in Vienna and elsewhere without false modesty
that this world renowned orchestra is the best opera orchestra in the
world. Back stage over 250 technical employees work from early in the
morning though the night in order to prepare the daily change of
performance. |
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| Il barbiere di
Siviglia |
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Manon Lescaut |
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| Carmen |
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Der Rosenkavalier |
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| Don Carlo |
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Lohengrin |
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| The Wiener Staatsoper is the epitome of Austrian
musical tradition and as a result the symbol for this relatively small,
although disproportionately culturally present nation. This reputation
was not least built through guest appearances overseas which have all
the allure of a state visit. The first tour abroad (to France in 1947)
caused a Parisian critic to write: ‘How rich is this poor Austria’.
During the tour to Japan in 1994, overall the fourth guest appearance by
the Staatsoper, performances were given of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO and BORIS
GODUNOW under Claudio Abbado, DER ROSENKAVALIER under Carlos Kleiber as
well as DIE FLEDERMAUS under Ulf Schirmer in Tokyo. |
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| Orchestra of the
Vienna State Opera |
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Orchestra of the
Vienna State Opera |
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| Chorus of the
Vienna State Opera |
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Stage Orchestra of
the
Vienna State Opera |
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| In addition, guest appearances in Ravenna in July
1996 of COSÌ FAN TUTTE under Riccardo Muti and the most recent tour in
the autumn of 2000, once again to Japan, with three productions in total
(ARIADNE AUF NAXOS: with Edita Gruberova as Zerbinetta and Agnes Baltsa
as Komoponist under Giuseppe Sinopoli; DIE LUSTIGE WITWE: with Thomas
Hampson as Danilo and Angelika Kirchschlager as Valencienne under Jun
Märkl; LINDA DI CHAMOUNIX: with Edita Gruberova as Linda and Thomas
Hampson as Antonio under Bruno Campanella) confirmed the international
ambassadorial role of the Staatsoper. |
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| The Opera House |
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Looking at the building from the Opernring, in other
words from the front, the historical part from the original 1869
building is visible. The façade remains in Renaissance arched style and
the loggia on the Ringstrasse side underline the public character of the
building.
The two representations of riders over the main façade of the loggia
were erected in 1876. They were created by Ernst Julius Hähnel and
represent two flying horses, illustrating Harmony and the muse of poetry
(Erato).
Also by Hähnel are the five bronze statues (from left to right: Heroism,
the Songstress, Fantasy, Thalia and Love) which stand on pedestals
inside the arched loggia arcade. |
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| The main stairwell |
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| On the first half-landing of the celebratory
stairway, to the side of the main entrance to the Parterre boxes, two
medallions designed by the sculptor Josef Cesar are displayed featuring
portraits of the architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van
der Nüll. Overhead can be seen two high relief pictures by Johann
Preleuthner, symbolizing the ‘Ballet’ and the ‘Opera’. A special
embellishment of the stairwell is the ceiling painting ‘Fortune
spreading her gifts’ after a design by Franz Dobiaschofsky. Also by him
are the three canvas wall paintings representing ballet, and comic and
tragic opera. The seven allegorical statues designed by Joseph Gasser
which line the celebratory stairway represent the seven free arts
(architecture, sculpture, poetry, dance, music, theatre and painting).
They were retrieved unharmed during the last days of the war. The two
large mirrors seen here were also miraculously unharmed. |
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| Foyer and Loggia |
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| Through an opening in the wall the Gustav Mahler Hall
is linked to the original remaining foyer (in earlier times called the
‘Promenade Hall’). Sixteen oil paintings after sketches by Moritz von
Schwind explain why this magnificent hall has the nick-name
‘Schwindfoyer’. The paintings portray once well known, but today hardly
ever performed, works from the operatic repertoire as well as one
concert piece. |
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| Under each painting is the bust of the corresponding
composer. The ceiling is decorated with two paintings "Battle of the
Wreath" and "Victory" by Friedrich Sturm (he also created the twelve
flower decorations on the walls). Medallions of the Empress Maria
Theresia and the Emperor Leopold I, who contributed several notable
works he composed himself to the young art form, can be seen over each
of the marble fireplaces. In addition the busts of some significant
Staatsoper General Directors are found. |
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| Tea Salon and Middle Box |
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| The showpiece of the historical section is the Tea
Salon (formerly the Emperor Salon), located between the celebratory
stairwell and the Middle Box. The former Court box, as well as the Tea
Salon were formerly reserved for use by the Court. The entrance to the
Court box incidentally marks the border of the 1945 fire. The Tea Salon
is still today not always accessible as it is used for production
meetings, conferences, awards ceremonies, receptions and so on. The
ceiling painting by Karl Madjera (Music on the eagle’s wings) with
representations of lyric and tragic music on both sides, has retained
its vibrant colours. The ceiling and walls are adorned with 22 carat
gold leaf. Also of interest are the sculptures by August La Ligne, wall
embroideries from the workshop Giani and tapestries featuring the
initials of Franz Joseph I. |
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| The Auditorium |
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| Today the Middle Box is accessible to the pubic. It
gives an impressive view of the horseshoe shaped auditorium, which had
to be completely rebuilt after the Second World War. The re-building of
the auditorium, new stairways to the former 3rd gallery, all the public
cloak rooms and the interval rooms in the upper levels were entrusted to
Erich Boltenstern, Professor at the technical college and at the Academy
for the plastic arts in Vienna, as the result of a competition. The
architects Otto Prossinger, Ceno Kosak and Felix Cevela designed the
interval rooms on the 1st level. The basic Italian theatre design, with
three box levels and two open levels (balcony and gallery) was
maintained, according to the plans of Sicardsburg and van der Nüll.
Boltenstern limited his changes to slightly lifting the 3rd gallery
(today the Balcony). The columns on the 3rd and 4th gallery levels were
eliminated as there was no longer any structural need for them. In their
place a free floating ceiling construction was chosen which dramatically
improved sightlines. |
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| From the original capacity of the auditorium, which
was 2,881 places, only 2,282 places remain (of which 1,709 are sitting,
567 are standing, 4 are wheelchair, and 4 are accompanying places). The
reduction in the number was necessary due to stricter building, fire and
safety regulations. The front of the boxes, constructed from reinforced
concrete, were covered with wood for acoustical reasons (the acoustics
of this Vienna opera house is of unequalled brilliance). The number of
access doors to the hall was increased and handicapped access improved.
Some of the upper level seats with obstructed view were equipped with
lights for reading. The traditional red-gold-ivory colours of the
auditorium were maintained, but the sumptuous interior was replaced by a
timeless classic design. Paintings, reliefs, and columns no longer
decorate the auditorium and for safety reasons the large centre
chandelier was replaced by a lighting wreath made from crystal. This
lighting fixture weighs 3,000 kilograms and contains 1,100 light bulbs.
This fixture has a diameter of 7 meters, is 5 meters high and has access
for a lighting technician to carry our maintenance work on the lighting
wreath. |
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| Prof. Rudolf Eisenmenger designed the so called iron
curtain which separates the auditorium from the stage. It displays a
scene from Gluck’s opera ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’. In early 1998 the firm
Museum in Progress was entrusted with the creation of a series of 5
large, temporary paintings for the Staatsoper —one for each season. The
realization and attaching of the pictures takes place using a specially
developed process so that both the Eisenmenger picture, as well as the
new work, are guaranteed to be conserved in optimal condition. With the
creation of an exhibition room in the Wiener Staatsoper this historical
building assumes its responsibility towards contemporary artistic
developments. |
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Every evening the orchestra pit accommodates the
musicians of possibly the world’s best known ensemble. The Wiener
Philharmoniker orchestra members are recruited from the members of the
Staatsoper orchestra. The orchestra pit is 123 m2 can hold around 110
musicians. It is fitted with an adjustable floor so that the height can
be varied. The purpose of this is to achieve acoustical effects and to
make possible the use of the front stage when fewer musicians are needed
in the orchestra pit.
The entire building is fitted with a seemingly old-fashioned, but
effective climate control. Fresh air from the nearby city park is sucked
in through an underground tunnel. In winter the air is warmed and in the
warmer seasons the air is blown over ice blocks (which are incidentally
made in the House) thereby cooling the air. The opera like the
Burgtheater, is district heated.
Three iron curtains serve as security in case of fire: the main curtain
which divides the stage from the auditorium and two further curtains
which can be closed on the side and back stages. Above all the
construction of the new part of the house was done with the utmost
safety in mind: the former wood ceiling was replaced by one made from
reinforced concrete. Instead of the former slate roof with wooden
shingles in between there is now a fire, water and windproof copper
skin—thereby finally fulfilling a wish of the architect van der Nüll—on
a thin reinforced concrete shell. On the roof a public terrace was
created, which serves not only an additional escape route but also as an
ideal interval space for the warmer times of the year. Since September
1999 this large terrace accommodates the Mobilkom tent for children—a
theatre on top of a theatre. |
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| The Stage House |
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| After the war the stage house was reconstructed on
the original foundation walls. Workshops (such as the paint shop, set
workshop, costume shop, hat and shoe shop as well as the costume store)
which were formerly located in the House were moved next door to the
Austrian National Theatres building (Hanuschgasse 1). The opera building
is reached through an underground tunnel, through which the necessary
costumes are transported daily without coming into contact with traffic.
In the stage house the necessary space for rehearsal rooms was created,
of which there had been a severe shortage. In addition, a canteen was
needed and all the various management offices and administration
offices. The majority of the rooms, including the artists’ dressing
rooms, are equipped with loud speakers and video monitors which allow
the action on stage to be followed. |
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| Refurbishment |
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| In the summer months of 1991 to 1993, as well as
during a longer period from July to December 1994, the Wiener Staatsoper
was substantially refurbished—on schedule and in record time. The
principal work was the refurbishment of the stage machinery. |
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| Brought up to the most modern technical standards,
the hydraulic lifts and the electronic fly machinery allow and even more
precise and flawless performance. The electrical supply, which came
formerly from the Hofburg, was entrusted to two transformer stations.
While all of these features, as well as the new heating, fire and safety
systems, are invisible to the public there were also renovations to the
auditorium such as refurbishment of the paint and the replacement of the
box seats. |
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map |
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| further Information about |
| Vienna
State Opera |
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german ) |
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