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Home > Die Wiener Staatsoper > Geschichte |
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1869 - 1955
On the 25th of May 1869 the house was officially opened with a performance of Mozart’s DON JUAN in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph, the sovereign landlord, and Empress Elisabeth. As a result of the artistic charisma of the first General Directors, Franz von Dingelstedt, Johann Herbeck, Franz Jauner and Wilhelm Jahn the building grew in popularity. The first summit for Viennese opera was reached under the direction of Gustav Mahler, who completely revitalized the obsolete performance system, strengthened the precision and spirit of the ensemble and brought in important visual artists (among them Alfred Roller) to create the new stage aesthetic.
During his ten-year long tenure (from 1897 to 1907) Gustav Mahler—still omnipresent on the eve of the 20th century in the concert houses of the world as the most important composer of symphonic work—set about building the Wagner repertoire, renewing Mozart’s operas and Beethoven’s FIDELIO, while maintaining the association with Verdi and cultivating one with Richard Strauss. Austrian composers were promoted (Hugo Wolf) and the Court opera was opened to modern European works. Beside the classics from the Italian repertoire, Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss (himself General Director of the House from 1919 to 1924) are the mainstays of the Wiener Staatsoper repertoire.
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Modern works always had their place as well: during the 20s and 30s the Viennese were witness to the first performances of Krenek’s JONNY SPIELT AUF, Hindemith’s CARDILLAC, Korngold’s WUNDER DER HELIANE and Berg’s WOZZECK (under Director Clemens Krauss). This tradition was interrupted when the National Socialists came to power and after the devastating bombing on the 12th of March 1945, which extensively demolished the Ring, the future of the art form itself was in doubt.
The Viennese, who during the war preserved a lively cultural life, were deeply shocked to see the symbol of Austrian musical life in rubble and ashes. But the spirit of the opera was not destroyed. Already on the 1st May 1945 the ‘Staatsoper at the Volksoper’ had opened with a splendid performance of Mozart’s THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, and on 6th October 1945 Beethoven’s FIDELIO re-opened the quickly restored Theater an der Wien. Thus for ten years while the original house was rebuilt at great cost there were two alternative performance locations.
Already by the 24th May 1945 the State Secretary for Public Works, Julius Raab, had proclaimed that the Wiener Staatsoper would be rebuilt and he put the job in the hands of Austrian architects Erich Boltenstern and Otto Prossinger. Only the main façade, the celebratory stairway, and the Schwindfoyer remained after the bombing. With a new auditorium and the most modern technical equipment, the Staatsoper was re-opened with a performance of Beethoven’s FIDELIO under Karl Böhm on the 5th of November 1955. The opening celebrations were broadcast on Austrian television and were perceived in rest of the whole world as a sign of life of the new republic.
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