Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden
Encyclopedia
The Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden is the State Theatre of the German state Hesse
in the capital Wiesbaden, producing opera
s, play
s, ballet
s, musical
s and concert
s on four stages. It is also known as Staatstheater Wiesbaden or Theater Wiesbaden. The building was inaugurated in 1894.
The theater is the host for the annual festival Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden, established in 1896 after the Bayreuth Festival
.
who regularly visited the spa
in Wiesbaden. A competition was won by a team of architects from Vienna
, Ferdinand Fellner
and Hermann Helmer. They erected the building from 1892 to 1894 in Baroque Revival style, following models in Prague
and Zurich
. The inauguration was on 16 October 1894 in the presence of the emperor. The Foyer
was built in 1902 by architect Felix Genzmer. It serves three stages.
After World War I the theater was renamed "Preußisches Staatstheater" (Prussian State Theater). Since 1932 the city of Wiesbaden was responsible for the theater, therefore it was renamed "Nassauisches Landestheater" (Theater of the Province Nassau).
The building was seriously damaged in World War II by a bomb on 3 February 1945. The front was restored in a simplified way, the ceiling of the hall was decorated with a contemporary painting.
In 1946 the State of Hesse took over the operation of the theater. In 1947 it was used again and called "Großhessisches Staatstheater" (State Theater of Great Hesse), later "Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden".
From 1975 to 1978 the auditorium was restored according to the historic model. The technical equipment was modernized. A new tract was built, designed by Hardt-Waltherr Hämer, for rehearsal rooms, workshops and administration.
The theater is especially dedicated to a young audience, collaborating with schools for "Schultheatertage". A professional ensemble, "Junges Staatstheater" (Young State Theater) is dedicated to children's and youth theater.
In addition to the annual Internationale Maifestspiele in May, since 2004 a biennial festival "Neue Stücke aus Europa" (New European Plays) is organized in collaboration with the Staatstheater Mainz, presenting in ten days new plays in the original language with simultaneous translation.
, Clara Schumann
, Joseph Joachim
, Camille Saint-Saëns
and Pablo de Sarasate
appeared in concert, among others. Felix Mottl
was a regular guest conductor from 1894. The number of players was raised from 56 to 65 in 1905 to 1911. From 1912 Carl Schuricht
was the conductor, appointed Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) 1921. Regular guest conductors during his era, which lasted until 1944, included Fritz Busch
, Felix Weingartner
, Bruno Walter
and Richard Strauss
.
Guest conductors included Thomas Beecham
, Leo Blech
and Fritz Busch. Richard Strauss conducted opera almost annually.
end of the 1950s. Conductors included:
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
in the capital Wiesbaden, producing opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
s, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s, musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s and concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s on four stages. It is also known as Staatstheater Wiesbaden or Theater Wiesbaden. The building was inaugurated in 1894.
The theater is the host for the annual festival Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden, established in 1896 after the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
.
History
The building of the theater was initiated and substantially supported by the German emperor William IWilliam I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
who regularly visited the spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
in Wiesbaden. A competition was won by a team of architects from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Ferdinand Fellner
Ferdinand Fellner
Ferdinand Fellner was an Austrian architect. Along with Hermann Helmer, he designed several theatres and palaces across Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century.Fellner was born in Vienna...
and Hermann Helmer. They erected the building from 1892 to 1894 in Baroque Revival style, following models in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. The inauguration was on 16 October 1894 in the presence of the emperor. The Foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
was built in 1902 by architect Felix Genzmer. It serves three stages.
After World War I the theater was renamed "Preußisches Staatstheater" (Prussian State Theater). Since 1932 the city of Wiesbaden was responsible for the theater, therefore it was renamed "Nassauisches Landestheater" (Theater of the Province Nassau).
The building was seriously damaged in World War II by a bomb on 3 February 1945. The front was restored in a simplified way, the ceiling of the hall was decorated with a contemporary painting.
In 1946 the State of Hesse took over the operation of the theater. In 1947 it was used again and called "Großhessisches Staatstheater" (State Theater of Great Hesse), later "Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden".
From 1975 to 1978 the auditorium was restored according to the historic model. The technical equipment was modernized. A new tract was built, designed by Hardt-Waltherr Hämer, for rehearsal rooms, workshops and administration.
Program
The theater has four stages, three of them in the historic house: Großes Haus (Great House, 1041 seats), Kleines Haus (Small House, 328 seats) and Studio (89 seats). Since 2003 an additional small separate stage is Wartburg. The staff consist of about 600 people. Annually more than 25 new operas, plays and ballets have been produced.The theater is especially dedicated to a young audience, collaborating with schools for "Schultheatertage". A professional ensemble, "Junges Staatstheater" (Young State Theater) is dedicated to children's and youth theater.
In addition to the annual Internationale Maifestspiele in May, since 2004 a biennial festival "Neue Stücke aus Europa" (New European Plays) is organized in collaboration with the Staatstheater Mainz, presenting in ten days new plays in the original language with simultaneous translation.
Directors
- 1893–1903 Georg von Hülsen (de)
- 1903–1918 Kurt von Munzenbechers
- 1920–1927 Carl HagemannCarl HagemannCarl Hagemann was a German chemist, industrial manager and one of the most important German art collectors and patrons in the first half of the 20th Century.-Life:...
- 1927–1932 Paul BekkerPaul BekkerPaul Bekker was one of the most articulate and influential German music critics of the 20th century....
- 1962–1968 Claus Helmut DreseClaus Helmut DreseClaus Helmut Drese was a German opera and theatre administrator, and author.-Early career:Drese led the theatre in Heidelberg from 1959 to 1962...
- 1968–1975 Alfred Erich Sistig (de), followed by Peter Ebert, Christoph Groszer
- 1986–1994 Claus Leininger
- 1994–1996 Arnold Petersen (de)
- 1996–2002 Achim Thorwald
- since 2002 Manfred Beilharz (de)
Städtisches Cur- und Sinfonieorchester
Wiesbaden's first major orchestra was in 1873 the "Städtisches Cur- und Sinfonieorchester" (Communal Spa and Symphony Orchestra). Its conductor from 1874 to 1905, Louis Lüstner, established besides entertaining music for the spa audience twelve symphony concerts a year. During this period Johannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
, Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann was a German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era...
, Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
, Camille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
and Pablo de Sarasate
Pablo de Sarasate
Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués was a Navarrese Spanish violinist and composer of the Romantic period.-Career:Pablo Sarasate was born in Pamplona, Navarre, the son of an artillery bandmaster...
appeared in concert, among others. Felix Mottl
Felix Mottl
Felix Josef von Mottl was an Austrian conductor and composer. He was regarded as one of the most brilliant conductors of his day. He composed three operas, of which Agnes Bernauer was the most successful, as well as a string quartet and numerous songs and other music...
was a regular guest conductor from 1894. The number of players was raised from 56 to 65 in 1905 to 1911. From 1912 Carl Schuricht
Carl Schuricht
Carl Adolph Schuricht was a German conductor.Schuricht was born in Danzig , German Empire; his father's family had been respected organ-builders. His mother, Amanda Wusinowska, a widow soon after her marriage , brought up her son alone...
was the conductor, appointed Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) 1921. Regular guest conductors during his era, which lasted until 1944, included Fritz Busch
Fritz Busch
Fritz Busch was a German conductor.Busch was born in Siegen, Province of Westphalia. He held posts conducting opera at Aachen, Stuttgart and Dresden. In 1933 he was dismissed from his post at Dresden because of his opposition to the new Nazi government of Germany...
, Felix Weingartner
Felix Weingartner
Paul Felix von Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg was an Austrian conductor, composer and pianist.-Biography:...
, Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor. He is considered one of the best known conductors of the 20th century. Walter was born in Berlin, but is known to have lived in several countries between 1933 and 1939, before finally settling in the United States in 1939...
and Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
.
Staatskapelle
The second orchestra "Staatskapelle", was founded in 1894, with the new opera house, to play exclusively opera and ballet. Conductors included:- 1906– Artur RotherArtur RotherArtur Martin Rother was a German conductor who worked mainly in the opera house.He was born in Stettin, Pomerania . His father was an organist and music teacher. He studied under Hugo Kaun and other teachers. By the age of 20, in 1906, he was conducting in Wiesbaden, and was assistant conductor...
- 1924–1927 Otto KlempererOtto KlempererOtto Klemperer was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century.-Biography:Otto Klemperer was born in Breslau, Silesia Province, then in Germany...
- 1932– Heinrich HollreiserHeinrich HollreiserHeinrich Hollreiser was a German conductor.Born in Munich, he attended the State Academy of Music there, and went on to serve as the conductor at the opera houses in Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Mannheim, and Duisburg. From 1942-1945 he served as the principal conductor of the Bavarian State Opera, while...
- 1933–1936 Karl ElmendorffKarl ElmendorffKarl Eduard Maria Elmendorff was a German opera conductor. Born in Düsseldorf, Elmendorff studied music at the Cologne College of Music and Hochschule für Musik Köln from 1913 to 1916 under Fritz Steinbach and Hermann Abendroth...
Guest conductors included Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
, Leo Blech
Leo Blech
Leo Blech was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Schauspielhaus Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Schauspielhaus Leo...
and Fritz Busch. Richard Strauss conducted opera almost annually.
Hessisches Staatsorchester
After the war, a fusion of the two orchestras under the new name Hessisches Staatsorchester was initiated and finalized by Wolfgang SawallischWolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
end of the 1950s. Conductors included:
- 1950–1956 Franz-Paul DeckerFranz-Paul DeckerFranz-Paul Decker is a German-born conductor.-Biography:Decker was born in Cologne, Germany, where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik with Philip Jarnach and Eugen Papst...
- 1958–1960 Wolfgang SawallischWolfgang SawallischWolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
- 1973–1988 Siegfried Köhler (de)
- 1988–1991 Ulf SchirmerUlf SchirmerUlf Schirmer is a German conductor. He studied at the Bremen Conservatory, and also at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg with György Ligeti, Christoph von Dohnányi and Horst Stein....
- 1992–1995 Oleg CaetaniOleg CaetaniOleg Caetani is a conductor of Ukrainian and Italian descent. He is the son of Igor Markevitch and Donna Topazia Caetani, Markevitch's second wife, who is descended from a Roman family that included the early 14th-century Pope Boniface VIII. Caetani has chosen to use his mother's family name to...
- 1995–1996 Jonathan NottJonathan NottJonathan Nott is an English conductor, the son of a priest at Worcester Cathedral. He was a music student and choral scholar at the University of Cambridge, and also studied singing and flute in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music. Nott was also a conducting student in London...
- 1996–1997 Joachim Arnold (de)
- 1996–2004 Toshiyuki KamiokaToshiyuki KamiokaToshiyuki Kamioka is a Japanese conductor and pianist, who lives and works predominantly in Germany since 1984.-Professional career:Toshiyuki Kamioka studied from 1979 to 1983 conducting, composition, piano and violin at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he was awarded...
- since 2004 Marc Piollet (de)
Literature
- Rudolf Cyperrek, Otto Laux, Hans-Peter Scholz: Geschichte eines Theatergebäudes 1860–1978. Hessisches Staatstheater, Wiesbaden 1978.
- Peter Schabe: Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. Verlag Schnell & Steiner, München 1988 (Kunstführer; Bd. 1712).
- Das neue kgl. Theater in Wiesbaden. In: Zeitschrift des österreichischen Ingenieur- und Architekten-Vereins. Jg. 51 (1899), Nr. 1, , S. 1–4.
External links
- Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden website
- Jugendclubtheater website