Latvian National Opera
Encyclopedia
The Latvian National Opera' (LNO, Latvijas Nacionālā Opera), Riga
, is the national opera of Latvia. The opera company includes the Latvian National Ballet (LNB), LNO Chorus, and LNO Orchestra.
The first attempt to create a Latvian national opera was 1893, when Jēkabs Ozols' Spoku stunda ("The Ghostly Hour") was performed. The Latvian opera (Latviešu Opera) was founded in 1912 by Pāvuls Jurjāns, though almost immediately, during the First World War, the opera troupe was evacuated to Russia. In 1918, the opera restarted (Latvju Opera) led by Jāzeps Vītols
, the founder of the Latvian Academy of Music
. The debut performance, on January 23, 1919, was of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer. From 1944, following the occupation of Latvia by Russia, and incorporation into the Soviet Union, the Latvian National Opera became the Latvian S.S.R. State Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1990, the theater was renamed the Latvian National Opera, but almost immediately the building was closed till 1995 for renovation and the company moved to temporary premises. For the reopening in 1995, the first opera was Jānis Mediņš
’ Uguns un nakts (Fire and Night).
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, is the national opera of Latvia. The opera company includes the Latvian National Ballet (LNB), LNO Chorus, and LNO Orchestra.
History
Riga already had a German-speaking theatre, which also offered opera and ballet, from 1782, and this was housed in the Riga City Theatre from 1863.The first attempt to create a Latvian national opera was 1893, when Jēkabs Ozols' Spoku stunda ("The Ghostly Hour") was performed. The Latvian opera (Latviešu Opera) was founded in 1912 by Pāvuls Jurjāns, though almost immediately, during the First World War, the opera troupe was evacuated to Russia. In 1918, the opera restarted (Latvju Opera) led by Jāzeps Vītols
Jazeps Vitols
-Biography:Vītols, the son of a schoolteacher, began his studies in composition in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. After graduating in 1886, he remained at the Conservatory to teach composition and reached the rank of Professor in 1901. His pupils there...
, the founder of the Latvian Academy of Music
Latvian Academy of Music
The Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music , formerly Riga Conservatory, is the major higher learning music institution in Latvia. The junior institute is the Emils Darzins Music School.-History:...
. The debut performance, on January 23, 1919, was of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer. From 1944, following the occupation of Latvia by Russia, and incorporation into the Soviet Union, the Latvian National Opera became the Latvian S.S.R. State Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1990, the theater was renamed the Latvian National Opera, but almost immediately the building was closed till 1995 for renovation and the company moved to temporary premises. For the reopening in 1995, the first opera was Jānis Mediņš
Jānis Mediņš
Jānis Mediņš was a Latvian composer. He was born in Riga. Following the end of World War II he went in exile in western Europe and settled in Sweden where he lived for the rest of his life....
’ Uguns un nakts (Fire and Night).
Building
The National Opera House was constructed in 1863 by the St. Petersburg architect Ludwig Bohnstedt, for the then German-speaking City Theatre, and has been refurbished several times; 1882-1887 (following a fire in 1882), 1957–1958, 1991-1995 (following independence). A modern annex was added in 2001 with a 300-seat New Hall.Riga's Deutsches Theater
- Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
had been music director in Riga 1837-1839 before the current opera building was built. Otto LohseOtto LohseOtto Lohse was a German conductor and composer.Born in Dresden, Lohse studied with Hans Richter and Felix Draeseke at the Dresden Conservatory. In 1882 he became conductor of two music societies in Riga, the Wagner Society and the Imperial Russian Music Society; seven year's later he became the...
became the first kapellmeister at the opera building when it was the German Theatre in 1889 - other conductors included Bruno WalterBruno WalterBruno 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...
1898-1900, Fritz BuschFritz BuschFritz 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...
1909-1911, Erich KleiberErich KleiberErich Kleiber was an Austrian conductor.- Biography :Born in Vienna, Kleiber studied in Prague...
, 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...
, Clemens KraussClemens KraussClemens Heinrich Krauss was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss.-Biography:...
1913-1914, Hermann AbendrothHermann AbendrothHermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth was a German conductor.-Early life:Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, Germany, belonging to a family which had already produced other artistic figures of divers disciplines...
,
Latvian National Opera
- Jāzeps VītolsJazeps Vitols-Biography:Vītols, the son of a schoolteacher, began his studies in composition in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. After graduating in 1886, he remained at the Conservatory to teach composition and reached the rank of Professor in 1901. His pupils there...
; 1919- founder - Teodors Reiters (1884–1956) father of Leons Reiters; 1918–1944.
- Emil CooperEmil CooperEmil Albertovich Cooper, also known as Emil Kuper was a Russian conductor and violinist, of English ancestry....
(Anglo-Russian, in Latvian: Emīls Kupers); 1925–1928. - Georg SchnéevoigtGeorg SchnéevoigtGeorg Schnéevoigt was a Finnish conductor and cellist, born in Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland, which is now in Russia....
(Finnish); 1929–1931 - Ignatz WaghalterIgnatz WaghalterIgnatz Waghalter was a Polish-German composer and conductor.-Early years:Waghalter was born into a poor but musically-accomplished Jewish family in Warsaw. His eldest brother, Henryk Waghalter , became a renowned cellist at the Warsaw Conservatory. Wladyslaw , the youngest Waghalter brother,...
; 1933 - Leo BlechLeo BlechLeo 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...
(German Jewish); 1937–1941 - Jānis MediņšJānis MediņšJānis Mediņš was a Latvian composer. He was born in Riga. Following the end of World War II he went in exile in western Europe and settled in Sweden where he lived for the rest of his life....
; 1920–1928 - Jānis KalniņšJānis KalniņšJānis Kalniņš was a Latvian and later Canadian composer and conductor.-Latvia:Jānis Kalniņš was the son of composer Alfrēds Kalniņš. He was a student first of Jāzeps Vītols at the Latvian Academy of Music, then with Erich Kleiber, Hermann Abendroth and Leo Blech. His two major operas were Hamlets ...
; 1933–1944 - Leonīds Vīgners; 1944–1949
- Edgars Tons (1917–1967); 1954–1967
- Jānis Hunhens (14.11.1910-05.10.1986); 1954–1986
- Rihards Glāzups; 1947–1975
- Aleksandrs ViļumanisAleksandrs ViļumanisAleksandrs Viļumanis is a Latvian conductor.Vilumanis studied percussion and conducting at the Latvian Academy of Music, being hired 1962 as a percussionist and conductor's assistant at the Latvian National Opera...
; 1970–1996. - Gintaras RinkevičiusGintaras RinkeviciusGintaras Rinkevičius is a Lithuanian conductor, who was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts in 1994. In 1989 he founded the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra.-Biography:...
(Lithuanian); 1996–2003 - Andris NelsonsAndris NelsonsAndris Nelsons is a Latvian conductor.Nelsons was born in Riga. His mother founded the first early music ensemble in Latvia, and his father was a choral conductor, cellist, and teacher...
; 2003–2007 - Modestas Pitrėnas; 2008-