Main stairwell of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
Welcome to the inside of the Wiener Staatsoper, known to all English speakers as the Vienna State Opera, one of the world's most iconic concert hall. On the 3rd week of this Vienna, I'm concentrating on the inside of this beautiful and legendary building which has been showcasing opera since 1869. If you have more than one day in Vienna, please do try to get tickets for the tour of the inside of the building, as you will get a glimpse of the glamour that an evening at the opera here holds. If you're a fan of opera on a budget, there is better news for you, since you can get tickets for €2 to €4 for all performances if you don't mind standing. These are available 80 minutes before the show starts and are in high demand from an eclectic clientele that is always keen to make their thoughts on the performance known.
The opera house was the first major building on the Vienna Ringstraße commissioned by the Viennese "city expansion fund". Work commenced on the house in 1861 and was completed in 1869, following plans drawn up by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance style by the renowned Czech architect and contractor Josef Hlávka. The building was, however, not very popular with the public. On the one hand, it did not seem as grand as the Heinrichshof. On the other, because the level of Ringstraße was raised by a metre in front of the opera house after its construction had begun, the latter was likened to "a sunken treasure chest".
Ceiling of the Schwindfoyer at the Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
Towards the end of World War II, on March 12, 1945, the opera was set alight by an American bombardment. The front section, which had been walled off as a precaution, remained intact including the foyer, with frescoes by Moritz von Schwind, the main stairways, the vestibule and the tea room. The auditorium and stage were, however, destroyed by flames as well as almost the entire décor and props for more than 120 operas with around 150,000 costumes.
The Austrian Federal Chancellor Leopold 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. Boltenstern decided on a design similar to the original with some modernisation in keeping with the design of the 1950s. In order to achieve a good acoustic, wood was the favoured building materia. 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.
Inside Concert Hall of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the Vienna Philharmonic, which is an incorporated society of its own, but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing 50 to 60 operas in a repertory system per year and ten ballet productions in more than 350 performances. It is quite common to find a different opera being produced each day of a week. The Staatsoper employs over 1000 people.
Gustav Mahler was one of the many conductors who has worked in Vienna. During his tenure (1897–1907), Mahler cultivated a new generation of singers, such as Anna Bahr-Mildenburg and Selma Kurz, and recruited a stage designer who replaced the lavish historical stage decors with sparse stage scenery corresponding to modernistic tastes. Mahler also introduced the practice of dimming the lighting in the theatre during performances, which was initially not appreciated by the audience. Herbert von Karajan introduced the practice of performing operas exclusively in their original language instead of being translated into German. He also strengthened the ensemble and regular principal singers and introduced the policy of predominantly engaging guest singers. He began a collaboration with La 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 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss.
Behind the stage at the Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria
I leave you this week with a view of the backstage area of the opera house. This is one of the areas of the building that is only viewable during the guided tour unless you happen to work there. The guided tour is definitely worth the time and money, as not only do you get access to areas off limits during performances, you also get to know a lot about the story and inner workings of the building and it is also the best way to photograph the interiors, especially if you get a small group and an understanding guide.
This post is very late, but I had a few technical issues to sort out in the meantime. Next post should also be up this week, focusing on the Schloß Schönbrunn during the Easter time.
Until then,
Keep wandering, keep shooting...
