An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera . Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage , an orchestra pit , audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institution's administration.
111-547: The Vienna State Opera (German: Wiener Staatsoper , IPA: [ˈviːnɐ ˈʃtaːtsˌʔoːpɐ] ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna , Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road . It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll , and designs by Josef Hlávka . The opera house
222-542: A German one, and that its inclusion would bring millions of non-Germans into the German nation state. If Greater Germany were to prevail, the crown would necessarily have to go to Franz Joseph, who had no desire to cede it in the first place to anyone else. On the other hand, if the idea of a smaller Germany won out, the German crown could of course not possibly go to the Emperor of Austria , but would naturally be offered to
333-664: A cheaper alternative to the Kaiserstein. The staircases were constructed from polished Kaiserstein, while most of the rest of the interior was decorated with varieties of marble . The decision was made to use dimension stone for the exterior of the building. Due to the monumental demand for stone, stone from Sóskút , widely used in Budapest , was also used. Three Viennese masonry companies were employed to supply enough masonry labour: Eduard Hauser (still in existence today), Anton Wasserburger and Moritz Pranter. The foundation stone
444-591: A coronation. Under Minister-President Karl Hohenwart in 1871, the government of Cisleithania negotiated a series of fundamental articles spelling out the relationship of the Bohemian Crown to the rest of the Habsburg Monarchy. On 12 September 1871, Franz Joseph announced: Having in mind the constitutional position of the Bohemian Crown and being conscious of the glory and power which that Crown has given us and our predecessors … we gladly recognise
555-463: A new wave of operatic excitement to the many tourists and locals who experienced this cultural event. During daytime the screen displays a replica of the Opera House's façade, as it obstructs a considerable part of the building, along with information about upcoming performances. The Vienna State Opera is particularly open to children: under Holender's direction (he has three children of his own),
666-530: A number of death penalties. The Bohemian question would remain unresolved for the entirety of Franz Joseph's reign. The main foreign policy goal of Franz Joseph had been the unification of Germany under the House of Habsburg . This was justified on grounds of precedence; from 1452 to the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, with only one brief period of interruption under the House of Wittelsbach ,
777-572: A reduced schedule of the classic ballets. 2009 marked the 140th anniversary of the Vienna Opera House. To celebrate this milestone an idea designed to reach out and embrace a new audience was conceived. A giant 50 sqm screen was placed on the side of the opera house facing Kärntner Straße . In four months live broadcasts of over 60 famous operas were transmitted in this way, including performances of Madama Butterfly , The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni . This successful venture brought
888-405: A religious nature found a special place in the mystery plays performed on cathedral squares. As before, they dealt with sacred subjects, but they were not about worship per se. Secular musical theater also existed, but had a more popular and intimate aspect (see, for example, Adam de la Halle 's Jeu de Robin et Marion ("Play of Robin and Marion"), in the 13th century). At the beginning of
999-414: A replica of the original design; Boltenstern decided on a design similar to the original with some modernisation in keeping with the design of the 1950s. In order to achieve good acoustics, wood was the favoured building material, on the advice of, among others, Arturo Toscanini . In addition, the number of seats in the parterre (stalls) was reduced, and the fourth gallery, which had been fitted with columns,
1110-822: A sister, Archduchess Maria Anna (born 1835), who died at the age of four. During the Revolutions of 1848 , the Austrian Chancellor Prince Klemens von Metternich resigned (March–April 1848). The young archduke, who (it was widely expected) would soon succeed his uncle on the throne, was appointed Governor of Bohemia on 6 April 1848, but never took up the post. Sent instead to the front in Italy , he joined Field Marshal Radetzky on campaign on 29 April, receiving his baptism of fire on 5 May at Santa Lucia . By all accounts, he handled his first military experience calmly and with dignity. Around
1221-533: A straightforward or assisting role. This was the beginning of Krips' worldwide career, which would take him to the most prominent houses in the world. Until his death in 1974, Krips was regarded as one of the most important Maestri (conductors/music directors) of the Staatsoper. On 1 July 1998, a historical broadcast took place, as Austria undertook its first presidency of the European Union . Fidelio
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#17327724928291332-527: Is a production of The Magic Flute every year for 9- and 10-year-olds, decorated like the Opernball . The opera house also has an opera school for boys and girls between the ages of eight and fourteen, which takes place in the afternoons after regular school. The children are introduced to music theatre and the prospect of becoming opera singers. The company recruits singers for children's roles in its productions from this opera school. Twice every season there
1443-425: Is a special matinée performance of the opera school. In 2006, the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, they performed a 20-minute miniature opera Der kleine Friedrich arranged from songs of Mozart by Janko Kastelic and Claudia Toman. Eighty minutes before each performance, cheap standing room tickets are sold ( € 10 ). These are popular with all age groups, and now have an almost legendary regular clientele, which
1554-535: Is an online version parallel to the publication, which receives (as of March 2007) an average of 10,000 visitors a week, and therefore is one of the most successful German-language opera portals. For many decades, the opera house has been the venue of the Vienna Opera Ball . It is an event, which takes place annually on the last Thursday in Fasching . Those in attendance often include visitors from around
1665-486: Is merciless in showing its displeasure with a performance loudly and unambiguously, but is even louder in voicing approval. Every performance at the Vienna State Opera is reviewed by an independent company in the opera publication Der Neue Merker ( The New Judge ) which is printed in about 2000 copies. This is unusual in that most opera magazines prefer to concentrate on new productions and premieres. There
1776-464: Is quite common to find a different opera being produced each day of a week. The Staatsoper employs over 1000 people. As of 2008, the annual operating budget of the Staatsoper was 100 million euros with slightly more than 50% as a state subsidy. The company's 2019 production of Olga Neuwirth 's opera Orlando marked the first production of an opera by a female composer in the history of
1887-526: The Opernhaus vorm Salztor in Naumburg in 1701. With the rise of bourgeois and capitalist social forms in the 19th century, European culture moved away from its patronage system to a publicly supported system. Early United States opera houses served a variety of functions in towns and cities, hosting community dances, fairs, plays, and vaudeville shows as well as operas and other musical events. In
1998-773: The Reichsrat (Upper House) from 1891 to 1893 in the Young Czech Party and again from 1907 to 1914 in the Realist Party (which he had founded in 1900), but he did not campaign for the independence of Czechs and Slovaks from Austria-Hungary. In Vienna in 1909 he helped Hinko Hinković 's defense in the fabricated trial against prominent Croats and Serbs members of the Serbo-Croatian Coalition (such as Frano Supilo and Svetozar Pribićević ), and others, who were sentenced to more than 150 years and
2109-466: The Suda , intended for the rehearsal of music that was to be sung in the grand theater or, according to Plutarch , for the jury to audition musicians competing for a prize. Ancient theaters provided the ideal conditions, but it was not yet time for opera: the aim was to worship the deities, not to venerate the muses . The subject was religious, it was accompanied by singing and instrumental music. Worship
2220-624: The 12 points that established modern civil and political rights, economic and societal reforms in Hungary. The Compromise partially re-established the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hungary, separate from, and no longer subject to the Austrian Empire. Instead, it was regarded as an equal partner with Austria. The compromise put an end to 18 years of absolutist rule and military dictatorship which had been introduced by Francis Joseph after
2331-713: The Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which resulted in the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 . The Hungarian political leaders had two main goals during the negotiations. One was to regain the traditional status (both legal and political) of the Hungarian state, which was lost after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 . The other was to restore the series of reform laws of the revolutionary parliament of 1848, which were based on
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#17327724928292442-481: The German Question in favour of Prussia, which prevented the unification of Germany from occurring under the House of Habsburg . Franz Joseph was troubled by nationalism throughout his reign. He concluded the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 , which granted greater autonomy to Hungary and created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. He ruled peacefully for the next 45 years, but personally suffered
2553-686: The Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reign, his realms and territories were referred to as the Austrian Empire , but were reconstituted as the dual monarchy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867. From 1 May 1850 to 24 August 1866, he was also president of the German Confederation . In December 1848, Franz Joseph's uncle Emperor Ferdinand I abdicated
2664-485: The League of Three Emperors ( Dreikaiserbund ) with Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany and Emperor Alexander II of Russia , who was succeeded by Tsar Alexander III in 1881. The league had been designed by the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck , as an attempt to maintain the peace of Europe. It would last intermittently until 1887. In 1903, Franz Joseph's veto of Jus exclusivae of Cardinal Mariano Rampolla 's election to
2775-757: The Ottoman but also the Russian Empire . The Bosnian Crisis was a result of Franz Joseph's annexation in 1908 of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had already been occupied by his troops since the Congress of Berlin (1878). On 28 June 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo resulted in Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia , which was an ally of
2886-575: The Principality of Transylvania would be reestablished. These events represented a clear and obvious existential threat for the Hungarian state. The new constrained Stadion Constitution of Austria, the revocation of the April laws and the Austrian military campaign against Kingdom of Hungary resulted in the fall of the pacifist Batthyány government (which sought agreement with the court) and led to
2997-768: The Vienna Philharmonic are recruited from the Vienna State Opera's orchestra. The building is also the home of the Vienna State Ballet , and it hosts the annual Vienna Opera Ball during the carnival season. 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
3108-679: The 17th and 18th centuries, opera houses were often financed by rulers, nobles, and wealthy people who used patronage of the arts to endorse their political ambition and social position. There was no opera house in London when Henry Purcell was composing and the first opera house in Germany, the Oper am Gänsemarkt , was built in Hamburg in 1678, followed by the Oper am Brühl in Leipzig in 1693, and
3219-843: The 17th century, in Italy, singing underwent yet another renewal, with the emergence of Baroque art at the height of the Renaissance . Italy continues to have many working opera houses, such as the Teatro Massimo in Palermo (the biggest in the country), the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan . The Teatro San Cassiano in Venice was the world's first public opera house, inaugurated as such in 1637. In
3330-483: The 2000s, most opera and theatre companies are supported by funds from a combination of government and institutional grants , ticket sales, and private donations. In the 19th-century United States, many theaters were given the name "opera house", even ones where opera was seldom if ever performed. Opera was viewed as a more respectable art form than theater ; calling a local theater an "opera house" therefore served to elevate it and overcome objections from those who found
3441-564: The 2010–2011 season a new company was formed called Wiener Staatsballet , Vienna State Ballet , under the direction of former Paris Opera Ballet principal dancer Manuel Legris . Legris eliminated Harangozós's policy of presenting nothing but traditional narrative ballets with guest artists in the leading roles, concentrated on establishing a strong in-house ensemble and restored evenings of mixed bill programs, featuring works of George Balanchine , Jerome Robbins , Jiří Kylián , William Forsythe , and many contemporary choreographers, as well as
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3552-478: The 20th century. However, Franz Joseph remained immensely respected; the emperor's patriarchal authority held the Empire together while the politicians squabbled among themselves. Following the accession of Franz Joseph to the throne in 1848, the political representatives of the Kingdom of Bohemia hoped and insisted that account should be taken of their historical state rights in the upcoming constitution. They felt
3663-399: The Austrian Empire a unitary, centralised and bureaucratically administered state. When Franz Joseph returned to constitutional rule after the debacles in Italy at Magenta and Solferino and summoned the diets of his lands, the question of his coronation as king of Bohemia again returned to the agenda, as it had not since 1848. On 14 April 1861, Emperor Franz Joseph received a delegation from
3774-425: The Austrian Empire. The next few years saw the seeming recovery of Austria's position on the international scene following the near disasters of 1848–1849. Under Schwarzenberg's guidance, Austria was able to stymie Prussian scheming to create a new German Federation under Prussian leadership, excluding Austria. After Schwarzenberg's premature death in 1852, he could not be replaced by statesmen of equal stature, and
3885-461: The Austrian territories had been suppressed by 1849, in Hungary, the situation was more severe and Austrian defeat seemed imminent. Sensing a need to secure his right to rule, Franz Joseph sought help from Russia , requesting the intervention of Tsar Nicolas I , in order "to prevent the Hungarian insurrection developing into a European calamity". For the Russian military support, Franz Joseph kissed
3996-615: The Austro-Prussian War, and had just seen their historic state rights tossed aside and their land subsumed into the "other" half of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, commonly called "Cisleithania". The Czech hopes were revived again in 1870–1871. In an Imperial Rescript of 26 September 1870, Franz Joseph referred again to the prestige and glory of the Bohemian Crown and to his intention to hold
4107-693: The Bohemian Diet with his words (in Czech): I will have myself crowned King of Bohemia in Prague, and I am convinced that a new, indissoluble bond of trust and loyalty between My throne and My Bohemian Kingdom will be strengthened by this holy rite. In contrast to his predecessor Emperor Ferdinand (who spent the rest of his life after his abdication in 1848 in Bohemia and especially in Prague), Franz Joseph
4218-535: The Buchlau Conference. However, Izvolsky made this agreement with Aehrenthal without the knowledge of Tsar Nicholas II or his government in St. Petersburg, or any of the other foreign powers including Britain , France and Serbia . Based upon the assurances of the Buchlau Conference and the treaties that preceded it, Franz Joseph signed the proclamation announcing the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina into
4329-500: The Emperor Ferdinand , was disabled by seizures, and his father unambitious and retiring, the mother of the young Archduke "Franzi" brought him up as a future emperor, with emphasis on devotion, responsibility and diligence. For this reason, Franz Joseph was consistently built up as a potential successor to the imperial throne by his politically ambitious mother from early childhood. Up to the age of seven, little "Franzi"
4440-460: The Emperor was wounded and bleeding, the collar saved his life. Count O'Donnell struck Libényi down with his sabre. O'Donnell, hitherto a Count only by virtue of his Irish nobility, was made a Count of the Habsburg monarchy ( Reichsgraf ). Another witness who happened to be nearby, the butcher Joseph Ettenreich, swiftly overpowered Libényi. For his deed he was later elevated to the nobility by
4551-629: The Habsburgs had generally held the German crown. However, Franz Joseph's desire to retain the non-German territories of the Habsburg Austrian Empire in the event of German unification proved problematic. Two factions quickly developed: a party of German intellectuals favouring a Greater Germany ( Großdeutschland ) under the House of Habsburg; the other favouring a Lesser Germany ( Kleindeutschland ). The Greater Germans favoured
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4662-673: The Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Franz Joseph was crowned King of Hungary on 8 June, and on 28 July he promulgated the laws that officially turned the Habsburg domains into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary . According to Emperor Franz Joseph, "There were three of us who made the agreement: Deák , Andrássy and myself." Political difficulties in Austria mounted continuously through the late 19th century and into
4773-621: The Hungarians, who had rebelled against Habsburg central authority in the name of their ancient constitution. Franz Joseph was also almost immediately faced with a renewal of the fighting in Italy , with King Charles Albert of Sardinia taking advantage of setbacks in Hungary to resume the war in March 1849. However, the military tide began to turn swiftly in favor of Franz Joseph and the Austrian whitecoats. Almost immediately, Charles Albert
4884-571: The Italians at Custoza in late July 1848, the court felt it safe to return to Vienna, and Franz Joseph travelled with them. But within a few weeks Vienna again appeared unsafe, and in September the court left once more, this time for Olmütz in Moravia . By now, Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz , an influential military commander in Bohemia, was determined to see the young archduke soon put on
4995-593: The Ottomans, sought and obtained an agreement with Austria-Hungary. In the Budapest Convention of 1877 , the two powers agreed that Russia would annex southern Bessarabia , and Austria-Hungary would observe a benevolent neutrality toward Russia in the pending war with the Turks. As compensation for this support, Russia agreed to Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A scant 15 months later,
5106-794: The Russian Empire. This activated a system of alliances declaring war on each other, which resulted in World War I . Franz Joseph died in 1916, after ruling his domains for almost 68 years. He was succeeded by his grandnephew Charles I & IV . Franz Joseph was born on 18 August 1830 in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna (on the 65th anniversary of the death of Francis of Lorraine ) as the eldest son of Archduke Franz Karl (the younger son of Francis I ), and his wife Sophie, Princess of Bavaria . Because his uncle, reigning from 1835 as
5217-452: The Russian foreign minister, Alexander Izvolsky , offered Russian support, for the third time, for the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, in exchange for Austrian support for the opening of the Bosporus Strait and the Dardanelles to Russian warships. Austria's foreign minister, Alois von Aehrenthal , pursued this offer vigorously, resulting in the quid pro quo understanding with Izvolsky, reached on 16 September 1908 at
5328-411: The Russians imposed on the Ottomans the Treaty of San Stefano , which reneged on the Budapest accord and declared that Bosnia-Herzegovina would be jointly occupied by Russian and Austrian troops. The treaty was overturned by the 1878 Treaty of Berlin , which allowed sole Austrian occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina but did not specify a final disposition of the provinces. That omission was addressed in
5439-406: The Staatsoper and the Vienna Volksoper were merged under the direction of Gyula Harangozó, which led to a reduction in the number of performers in the resulting ensemble. This has resulted in an increase in the number of guest stars engaged to work in the ballet. The practice of combining the two ballet companies proved an artistic failure, and Harangozó left when his contract expired in 2010. From
5550-475: The Three Emperors' League agreement of 1881, when both Germany and Russia endorsed Austria-Hungary's right to annex Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, by 1897, under a new tsar , the Russian Imperial government had again withdrawn its support for Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Russian foreign minister, Count Mikhail Muravyov , stated that an Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina would raise "an extensive question requiring special scrutiny". In 1908,
5661-405: The Vienna State Opera. Gustav Mahler was one of the many conductors who have 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, Jugendstil tastes. Mahler also introduced
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#17327724928295772-438: The Wiener Mozart-Ensemble was formed, which put on guest performances and became known particularly for its singing and playing culture. The Austrian conductor Josef Krips was the founder and mentor, who had only survived the Nazi era (given his Jewish heritage) thanks to luck and help from colleagues. At the end of the war, Krips started the renovation of the Staatoper, and was able to implement his aesthetic principles, including
5883-415: The architects of ancient Greek theater , Vitruvius described, in the 1st century BC, in his treatise De architectura , the ideal acoustics of theaters. He explained the use of brazen vases that Mummius had brought to Rome after having had the theater of Corinth demolished, and as they were probably used in the Theater of Pompey . As wooden theaters were naturally sonorous, these vases, placed between
5994-547: The company went on tour to London. Due to the appalling conditions at Theater an der Wien, the opera company leadership tried to raise significant quantities of money to speed up reconstruction of the original opera house. Many private donations were made, as well as donations of building material from the Soviets, who were very interested in the rebuilding of the opera. The mayor of Vienna had receptacles placed in many sites around Vienna for people to donate coins only. In this way, everyone in Vienna could say they had participated in
6105-401: The conflict between the Hungarian parliament and Francis Joseph. The Austrian Stadion Constitution was accepted by the Imperial Diet of Austria , where Hungary had no representation, and which traditionally had no legislative power in the territory of Kingdom of Hungary; despite this, it also tried to abolish the Diet of Hungary (which existed as the supreme legislative power in Hungary since
6216-431: The constitutional concessions he had made, especially as the Austrian parliament meeting at Kremsier had behaved—in the young Emperor's eyes—abominably. The 1849 constitution was suspended, and a policy of absolutist centralism was established, guided by the Minister of the Interior, Alexander Bach . On 18 February 1853, Franz Joseph survived an assassination attempt by Hungarian nationalist János Libényi . The emperor
6327-408: The departure from the Romantic Mozart ideal with a voluminous orchestral sound. Instead, qualities more associated with chamber music were featured, as well as a clearer, lighter sound, which would later come to be known as "typically Viennese". Singers who worked with Krips during this time were Erich Kunz , Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Wilma Lipp , among others. As early as 1947, the Mozart-Ensemble
6438-456: The directors (or general managers) of the Staatsoper have been: Opera title and year of debut at the Vienna State Opera in parentheses: Opera house While some venues are constructed specifically for operas, other opera houses are part of larger performing arts centers. Indeed, the term opera house is often used as a term of prestige for any large performing arts center. Based on Aristoxenus 's musical system, and paying homage to
6549-411: The emperor and became Joseph von Ettenreich. Libényi was subsequently put on trial and condemned to death for attempted regicide . He was executed on the Simmeringer Heide. After this unsuccessful attack, the emperor's brother Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian called upon Europe's royal families for donations to construct a new church on the site of the attack. The church was to be a votive offering for
6660-404: The emperor himself effectively took over as prime minister. He was one of the most prominent Roman Catholic rulers in Europe, and a fierce enemy of Freemasonry . The 1850s witnessed several failures of Austrian external policy: the Crimean War , the dissolution of its alliance with Russia, and defeat in the Second Italian War of Independence . The setbacks continued in the 1860s with defeat in
6771-417: The end of World War II, on 12 March 1945, the opera was set alight by an American bombardment. The auditorium and stage were destroyed by flames, as well as almost the entire décor and props for more than 120 operas with around 150,000 costumes. The front section, which had been walled off as a precaution, however, remained intact including the foyer , with frescoes by Moritz von Schwind , the main stairways,
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#17327724928296882-402: The form of parliaments was required. The educators Heinrich Franz von Bombelles and Colonel Johann Baptist Coronini-Cronberg ordered Archduke Franz to study an enormous amount of time, which initially comprised 18 hours per week and was expanded to 50 hours per week by the age of 16. One of the main focuses of the lessons was language acquisition: in addition to French, the diplomatic language of
6993-484: The fundaments of modern civil and political rights, economic and societal reforms in the Kingdom of Hungary. The crucial turning point of the Hungarian events were the April laws which was ratified by his uncle King Ferdinand, however the new young Austrian monarch Francis Joseph arbitrarily "revoked" the laws without any legal competence. The monarchs had no right to revoke Hungarian parliamentary laws which were already signed. This unconstitutional act irreversibly escalated
7104-444: The hand of the tsar in Warsaw on 21 May 1849. Tsar Nicholas supported Franz Joseph in the name of the Holy Alliance , and sent a 200,000 strong army with 80,000 auxiliary forces. Finally, the joint army of Russian and Austrian forces defeated the Hungarian forces. After the restoration of Habsburg power, Hungary was placed under brutal martial law . With order now restored throughout his empire, Franz Joseph felt free to renege on
7215-442: The head of the largest and most powerful German state outside of Austria—the King of Prussia . The contest between the two ideas, quickly developed into a contest between Austria and Prussia . After Prussia decisively won the Seven Weeks War , this question was solved; Austria lost no territories to Prussia as long as they remained out of German affairs. In 1873, two years after the unification of Germany, Franz Joseph entered into
7326-413: The inclusion of Austria in a new all-German state on the grounds that Austria had always been a part of Germanic empires, that it was the leading power of the German Confederation , and that it would be absurd to exclude eight million Austrian Germans from an all-German nation state. The champions of a lesser Germany argued against the inclusion of Austria on the grounds that it was a multi-nation state, not
7437-514: The king was alive and unable to do his duty as ruler, a governor (or regent, as they would be called in English) had to assume the royal duties. Constitutionally, Franz Josef's uncle Ferdinand was still the legal king of Hungary . If there was no possibility to inherit the throne automatically due to the death of the predecessor king (since King Ferdinand was still alive), but the monarch wanted to relinquish his throne and appoint another king before his death, technically only one legal solution remained:
7548-442: The late 12th century.) The new Austrian constitution also went against the historical constitution of Hungary, and even tried to nullify it. Even the territorial integrity of the country was in danger: On 7 March 1849 an imperial proclamation was issued in the name of the Emperor Francis Joseph, according to the new proclamation, the territory of Kingdom of Hungary would be carved up and administered by five military districts, while
7659-408: The long personal union between the Kingdom of Hungary and other Habsburg ruled areas, the Habsburg monarchs had to be crowned as King of Hungary in order to promulgate laws there or exercise royal prerogatives in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. From a legal point of view, according to the coronation oath, a crowned Hungarian king could not relinquish the Hungarian throne during his life; if
7770-436: The military disaster of 1866 (the Battle of Königgrätz ), was deprecatingly referred to as "the 'Königgrätz' of architecture". Eduard van der Nüll committed suicide, and barely ten weeks later Sicardsburg died from tuberculosis so neither architect saw the completion of the building. The opening premiere was Don Giovanni , by Mozart , on 25 May 1869. Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) were present. Towards
7881-412: The opera house as it had been, and the main restoration experts involved were Ernst Kolb (1948–1952) and Udo Illig (1953–1956). 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. The submissions had ranged from a complete restructuring of the auditorium to
7992-436: The opera house has become well known for its children's productions, which are performed in a tent on the roof of the Staatsoper. Recent examples include Peter Pan , Das Traumfresserchen [ de ] ( The Dream Gobbler ), Der 35. Mai ( The 35th of May ), C. F. E. Horneman 's Aladdin , Bastien und Bastienne and Wagners Nibelungenring für Kinder ( Wagner's Ring for children ). In addition to this, there
8103-565: The papacy was transmitted to the Papal conclave by Cardinal Jan Puzyna de Kosielsko . It was the last use of such a veto, as the new Pope Pius X prohibited future uses and provided for excommunication for any attempt. During the mid-1870s a series of violent rebellions against Ottoman rule broke out in the Balkans, and the Turks responded with equally violent and oppressive reprisals. Tsar Alexander II of Russia , wanting to intervene against
8214-417: The parliament had the power to dethrone the king and elect a new king. Due to the legal and military tensions, the Hungarian parliament did not grant Franz Joseph that favour. This event gave to the revolt an excuse of legality. Actually, from this time until the collapse of the revolution, Lajos Kossuth (as elected regent-president) became the de facto and de jure ruler of Hungary. While the revolutions in
8325-455: 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 . At the beginning of the 2005–2006 season, the ballet companies of
8436-430: The position of Bohemia within the Habsburg monarchy should have been highlighted by a coronation of the new ruler to the king of Bohemia in Prague (the last coronation took place in 1836). However, before the 19th century the Habsburgs had ruled Bohemia by hereditary right and a separate coronation was not deemed necessary. His new government installed the system of neoabsolutism in Austrian internal affairs to make
8547-416: The practice of dimming the lighting in the theatre during performances, which was initially not appreciated by the audience. However, Mahler's reforms were maintained by his successors. 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
8658-608: The recognition of separate Bohemian state rights for which they had hoped. Bohemia remained part of the Austrian Crown Lands . In Bohemia, opposition to dualism took the form of isolated street demonstrations, resolutions from district representations, and even open air mass protest meetings, confined to the biggest cities, such as Prague. The Czech newspaper Národní listy complained that the Czechs had not yet been compensated for their wartime losses and sufferings during
8769-484: The reconstruction and feel pride in considering themselves part owners. However, in 1949, there was only a temporary roof on the Staatsoper, as construction work continued. It was not until 5 November 1955, after the Austrian State Treaty , that the Staatsoper could be reopened with a performance of Beethoven 's Fidelio , conducted by Karl Böhm . The American Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles ,
8880-709: The rights of the kingdom and are prepared to renew that recognition through our coronation oath. For the planned coronation, the composer Bedřich Smetana had written the opera Libuše , but the ceremony did not take place. The creation of the German Empire , domestic opposition from German-speaking liberals (especially German-Bohemians ) and from Hungarians doomed the Fundamental Articles . Hohenwart resigned and nothing changed. Many Czech people were waiting for political changes in monarchy, including Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and others. Masaryk served in
8991-567: The safety curtain by means of magnets and are shown during the course of a season. Artists up to date: Pierre Alechinsky , Tauba Auerbach , John Baldessari , Matthew Barney , Thomas Bayrle, Tacita Dean , Cerith Wyn Evans , Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster , Richard Hamilton , David Hockney , Christine & Irene Hohenbüchler, Joan Jonas , Martha Jungwirth, Jeff Koons , Maria Lassnig , Oswald Oberhuber, Giulio Paolini , Rirkrit Tiravanija , Rosemarie Trockel , Cy Twombly , Kara Walker , Carrie Mae Weems and Franz West . In chronological order,
9102-458: The same time, the imperial family was fleeing revolutionary Vienna for the calmer setting of Innsbruck , in Tyrol . Called back from Italy, the archduke joined the rest of his family at Innsbruck by mid-June. It was here that Franz Joseph first met his cousin and eventual future bride, Elisabeth, then a girl of ten, but apparently the meeting made little impression. Following Austria's victory over
9213-553: The seats on the stands, served as resonators in the stone buildings: "By means of this arrangement, the voice, which will come from the stage as from a center, will extend in circles, will strike in the cavities of the vases, and will be made stronger and clearer, according to the relationship of consonance that it will have with one of these vases." The odeon built by Pericles near the Theater of Dionysus in Athens was, according to
9324-470: The sudden emergence of Lajos Kossuth 's followers in the Hungarian parliament, who demanded the full independence of Hungary. The Austrian military intervention in the Kingdom of Hungary resulted in strong anti-Habsburg sentiment among Hungarians, thus the events in Hungary grew into a war for total independence from the Habsburg dynasty . On 7 December 1848, the Diet of Hungary formally refused to acknowledge
9435-545: The survival of the emperor. It is located on Ringstraße in the district of Alsergrund close to the University of Vienna , and is known as the Votivkirche . The survival of Franz Joseph was also commemorated in Prague by erecting a new statue of St. Francis of Assisi , the patron saint of the emperor, on Charles Bridge . It was donated by Count Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky , the first minister-president of
9546-404: The theater morally objectionable. Notes Sources Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( German : Franz Joseph Karl [fʁants ˈjoːzɛf ˈkaʁl] ; Hungarian : Ferenc József Károly [ˈfɛrɛnt͡s ˈjoːʒɛf ˈkaːroj] ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria , King of Hungary , and the ruler of the other states of
9657-583: The throne at Olomouc , as part of Minister President Felix zu Schwarzenberg 's plan to end the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 . Franz Joseph then acceded to the throne. In 1854, he married his cousin Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria , with whom he had four children: Sophie , Gisela , Rudolf , and Marie Valerie . Largely considered to be a reactionary , Franz Joseph spent his early reign resisting constitutionalism in his domains. The Austrian Empire
9768-567: The throne. It was thought that a new ruler would not be bound by the oaths to respect constitutional government to which Ferdinand had been forced to agree, and that it was necessary to find a young, energetic emperor to replace the kindly but mentally unfit Ferdinand. By the abdication of his uncle Ferdinand and the renunciation of his father (the mild-mannered Franz Karl), Franz Joseph succeeded as Emperor of Austria at Olmütz on 2 December 1848. At this time, he first became known by his second as well as his first Christian name. The name "Franz Joseph"
9879-444: The time, Latin and Ancient Greek , Hungarian , Czech, Italian and Polish were the most important national languages of the monarchy. In addition, the archduke received general education that was customary at the time (including mathematics, physics, history, geography), which was later supplemented by law and political science. Various forms of physical education completed the extensive program. On his 13th birthday, Franz Joseph
9990-499: The title of the new king, "as without the knowledge and consent of the diet no one could sit on the Hungarian throne", and called the nation to arms. While in most Western European countries (like France and the United Kingdom) the monarch's reign began immediately upon the death of their predecessor , in Hungary the coronation was indispensable; if it were not properly executed, the kingdom remained " orphaned ". Even during
10101-502: The tragedies of the execution of his brother Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1867, the suicide of his son Rudolf in 1889, and the assassinations of his wife Elisabeth in 1898 and his nephew and heir presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand , in 1914. After the Austro-Prussian War, Austria-Hungary turned its attention to the Balkans , which was a hotspot of international tension because of conflicting interests of Austria with not only
10212-477: The vestibule and the tea room. The State Opera was temporarily housed at the Theater an der Wien and at the Vienna Volksoper . Lengthy discussion took place about whether the opera house should be restored to its original state on its original site, or whether it should be completely demolished and rebuilt, either on the same location or on a different site. Eventually the decision was made to rebuild
10323-422: The world, especially prominent names in business and politics. The opera ball receives media coverage from a range of outlets. The opera ball in 1968 was the occasion for a protest, at which the organisation was criticised for being "elite" (due to the high prices), "conceited" (due to the opulent display of wealth for the newspapers and cameras) and "reactionary" (for upholding an allegedly outdated culture). There
10434-567: Was appointed Colonel- Inhaber of Dragoon Regiment No. 3 and the focus of his training shifted to imparting basic strategic and tactical knowledge. From that point onward, army style dictated his personal fashion—for the rest of his life, he normally wore the uniform of a military officer. Franz Joseph was soon joined by three younger brothers: Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian (born 1832, the future Emperor Maximilian of Mexico ); Archduke Karl Ludwig (born 1833, father of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria ), and Archduke Ludwig Viktor (born 1842), and
10545-523: Was broadcast live from the Vienna State Opera to the 15 capital cities of the EU. 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
10656-406: Was brought up in the care of the nanny ("Aja") Louise von Sturmfeder. Then the "state education" began, the central contents of which were "sense of duty", religiosity and dynastic awareness. The theologian Joseph Othmar von Rauscher conveyed to him the inviolable understanding of rulership of divine origin (divine grace), and therefore a belief that no participation of the population in rulership in
10767-601: Was built in the Neo-Renaissance style by the Czech architect and contractor Josef Hlávka . The Ministry of the Interior had commissioned a number of reports into the availability of certain building materials, with the result that stones long not seen in Vienna were used, such as Wöllersdorfer Stein, for plinths and free-standing, simply-divided buttresses, the famously hard stone from Kaisersteinbruch , whose colour
10878-405: Was chosen to bring back memories of the new Emperor's great-granduncle, Emperor Joseph II (Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790), remembered as a modernising reformer. Under the guidance of the new prime minister, Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg , the new emperor at first pursued a cautious course, granting a constitution in March 1849 . At the same time, a military campaign was necessary against
10989-523: Was completely renewed. The Jeu de Daniel ("Play of Daniel") was a sung play, characteristic of the medieval Renaissance of the 12th century . The subject, taken from the biblical Book of Daniel , deals with Israel's captivity in Babylon . The play was written and performed by students of the Episcopal School of Beauvais , located in northern France. In the 15th century, sung theater of
11100-415: Was decisively beaten by Radetzky at Novara and forced to sue for peace, as well as to renounce his throne. Unlike other Habsburg ruled areas, the Kingdom of Hungary had an old historic constitution , which limited the power of the crown and had greatly increased the authority of the parliament since the 13th century. The Hungarian reform laws ( April laws ) were based on the 12 points that established
11211-591: Was forced to cede its influence over Tuscany and most of its claim to Lombardy–Venetia to the Kingdom of Sardinia , following the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859 and the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866. Although Franz Joseph ceded no territory to the Kingdom of Prussia after the Austrian defeat in the Austro-Prussian War , the Peace of Prague (23 August 1866) settled
11322-583: Was inaugurated as the "Vienna Court Opera" ( Wiener Hofoper ) in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria . It became known by its current name after the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1921. The Vienna State Opera is the successor of the old Vienna Court Opera (built in 1636 inside the Hofburg ). The new site was chosen and the construction paid by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1861. The members of
11433-630: Was laid on 20 May 1863. The building was, however, not very popular with the public. On the one hand, it did not seem as grand as the Heinrichshof, a private residence which was destroyed in World War II (and replaced in 1955 by the Opernringhof). Moreover, 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" and, in analogy to
11544-462: Was more appropriate than that of Kelheimerstein , for more lushly decorated parts. The somewhat coarser-grained Kelheimerstein (also known as Solnhof Plattenstein) was intended as the main stone to be used in the building of the opera house, but the necessary quantity was not deliverable. Breitenbrunner stone was suggested as a substitute for the Kelheimer stone, and stone from Jois was used as
11655-558: Was never crowned separately as king of Bohemia. In 1861, the negotiations failed because of unsolved constitutional problems. However, in 1866, a visit of the monarch to Prague following defeat at the Battle of Königgrätz was a huge success, testified by the considerable numbers of new photographs taken. In 1867, the Austro-Hungarian compromise and the introduction of the dual monarchy left the Czechs and their aristocracy without
11766-593: Was playing guest performances at the Royal Opera House in London, with Mozart's Don Giovanni . Richard Tauber , who had fled from the Nazis, sang Don Ottavio ; three months later he died, and was remembered for singing with "half a lung" in order to fulfil his dream, many other artists became associated with the Mozart-Ensemble, for example Karl Böhm , but their role was still greatly peripheral, in
11877-410: Was present. The state broadcaster ORF used the occasion to make its first live broadcast, at a time when there were only c. 800 televiewers in the whole of Austria. The new auditorium had a reduced capacity of about 2,276, including 567 standing room places. The ensemble, which had remained unified until the opening, crumbled in the following years, and slowly an international ensemble formed. In 1945,
11988-644: Was public, and the audience was made up of citizens as well as other categories of the population. Four centuries later, the Church abandoned spectacles as practiced in Antiquity. Histrions , representative of Greco-Roman civilization , gradually disappeared. The Middle Ages saw the abandonment of ancient theaters, which were transformed into gigantic stone quarries , like many other ancient buildings, both public or private. Music still had its place in worship. It continued to bring audiences together, but its content
12099-489: Was restructured so as not to need columns. The façade, entrance hall and the "Schwind" foyer were restored and remain in their original style. In the meantime, the opera company, which had at first been performing in the Volksoper, had moved rehearsals and performances to Theater an der Wien , where, on 1 May 1945, after the liberation and re-independence of Austria from the Nazis, the first performances were given. In 1947,
12210-456: Was taking a stroll with one of his officers, Count Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell , on a city bastion , when Libényi approached him. He immediately struck the emperor from behind with a knife straight at the neck. Franz Joseph almost always wore a uniform, which had a high collar that almost completely enclosed the neck. The collars of uniforms at that time were made from very sturdy material, precisely to counter this kind of attack. Even though
12321-404: Was violence between the demonstrators and the police. "Safety Curtain" is an exhibition series conceived by the non-profit art initiative museum in progress , which has been transforming the safety curtain of the Vienna State Opera into a temporary exhibition space for contemporary art since 1998. A jury ( Daniel Birnbaum and Hans-Ulrich Obrist ) selects the artists whose works are attached to
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