Historically speaking The Vienna State Opera or the Stattoper in Vienna, Austria is one of the most prominent and culturally important buildings on the Ringstrasse.
Though constructed almost 150 years ago even today it is very much at the heart of the cultural action.
If you are reading this post on or around 25th May 2019 do check out the 150 years celebration details here
Being centrally located on the Ringstrasse it can easily be reached by taxi or public transport.
What if I were to go back in time and visit it 150 years ago when it was freshly built and when all these modern modes of transport were not present?
Perhaps the best way would be to use my compass and navigate my path to reach its coordinates 48.2029° N, 16.3690° E
The first or the inaugural performance was Mozart’s Don Giovanni that happened on 25th May 1869
However today 150 years later the Vienna state Opera is still functioning in all its glory and welcomes one and all with open arms.
Vienna State Opera a lot more than 48.2029° N, 16.3690° E
If I were to train my compass to 48.2029° N, 16.3690° E, it would take me directly to this structure
This building is not any ordinary structure but an edifice steeped in history.
Standing in front of the wonderful piece of architecture I feel a wave of nostalgia sweep over me, who knows this could be the very spot where Emperor Franz Joseph or Empress Elisabeth once stood to glance around or breathe in the fresh art inspiring air before they stepped in to watch a performance.
This is a place that lives and breathes art. It is vibrant and pulsating with life. If this is the state of the Vienna State Opera today than one can only imagine how it would have been 150 years ago?
25th May 2019 the Epic day in the journey of the Vienna State Opera
On 25th May 2019 the Vienna State Opera would be celebrating its 150th Birthday. As it turns 150 years old or looking at the beauty and the magnificence of this wonderful edifice of art, culture and history I can only say 150 years young.
150 years is a pretty long period and a lot has changed in this span yet the Vienna State Opera has stood the test of time and is still reminiscent of its glorious heritage.
It is a living proof of how much the people of Austria love and cherish art.
The story of the Vienna State Opera goes back to the time when it was to become the first major building on the Vienna Ringstrasse commissioned by the Viennese “city expansion fund”
So when the city walls were torn down the Vienna State Opera was to be the first structure to be built. It was to represent the aspiration of a kingdom that wanted to expand beyond its walls.
This is 2019 and a lot of time has elapsed from the times of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth yet the arts crafts and the music that got created under the royal patronage still exists. Not knowing exactly what awaited me inside the Vienna State Opera I entered the Foyer that took me to the ticket counter.
In a lot of ways this foyer is like a conduit that connects the present times to the history gone by.
I visited the opera during the day time and there was a performance scheduled for the evening.
The purpose of my visit was to take the Vienna State Opera tour. Tours are offered in German, English and Spanish. Visitors interested in take the tour in Japanese, French, Russian or Italian can contact the Wiener Staatsoper. The language options, tour timing and ticket information can be obtained online from here.
My tour started at the base of the stair case. As I took the flight of stairs I began to experience the grandeur of an architectural style that was quite new in construction and design.
The construction of the Vienna State Opera began in 1861 and got completed in 1869. The structure of the opera house was designed by Viennese architect August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll.
The design style was ahead of its times. In a tragic turn of events neither the architect nor the designer survived to see the inauguration.
The first or the inaugural performance was Mozart’s Don Giovanni that happened on 25th May 1869
The period of the Second World War was to be quite difficult for this cradle of culture, music and art.
The low point was that the Vienna Opera House got damaged extensively due to the war bombing.
The damage was extensive and went far beyond the structure and interiors. A large number of props as well as costumes were destroyed.
It took ten years to reconstruct the Vienna Opera House and finally it reopened in 1955
From there on the name and fame of the Vienna State Opera has grown by leaps and bounds and the opera has emerged as the leading name in the world of opera.
The Vienna State Opera or the Wiener Staatsoper has become a name that is on the must visit list of any opera or ballet lover.
True to its reputation it presents an ensemble of specially chosen 350 performances from 60 different opera and ballets.
Every night the performances may change but the only constant is the high quality that gets delivered each time.
Audiences come with the expectation of being entertained and their expectations are fulfilled every evening by world class performers.
Another constant to each nights performance are the “permanent ensemble members on the stage and at the conductor’s desk, accompanied by a unique orchestra: the orchestra of Wiener Staatsoper, whose members at the same time make up the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. “
This progress may seem magical and a streak of good luck however behind the success of the name, fame and the Success of the Vienna State Opera house is the hard work ,dedication and vision of it directors.
Franz von Dingelstedt was its first director who took the opera house to great heights. Thereafter there have been a series of directors who have contributed their creative talents and abilities to take the opera house to new heights.
As of now the current director of the Vienna Opera house is Dominique Meyer. He and his team have been working since 2010 and contributing their vision, skill and hard work has taken the Vienna State Opera to soar higher specially in the year that the Vienna State Opera celebrates its 150th Birth Anniversary.
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