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AN ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY
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The house, known initially as the Imperial Opera and after World War I as the State Opera, quickly became internationally known for the quality of its casts and conductors and, in some years more than others, the breadth of its repertoire. The first director of the company, conductor Johann Herbeck, proved noteworthy for, among other things, introducing the Viennese to Wagner's "Die Meistersinger" in 1875 -- and singing the part of Hans Sachs from the pit when the singer in that role froze onstage (the boos and catcalls from anti-Wagnerians in the house may have unnerved him). On the downside, Herbeck made liberal cuts in that and other Wagner scores.
His successor, Franz Jauner, gave Vienna its first productions of Bizet's "Carmen" and Verdi's "Aida" (conducted by the composer). He also hired one of the best musicians of the day, Hans Richter, as chief conductor, a wise move that led to the first Vienna staging of Wagner's "Ring" cycle in 1879. Jauner gave something else to the opera public for the first time -- an electric warning bell, installed in 1877, to summon patrons to their seats.
The Jauner years (1875-1880) saw the house debuts of vocal artists who have since entered the realm of the legendary, including Adelina Patti and the first great soprano with the surname Nilsson, Christine Nilsson (in the 20th century, Birgit Nilsson -- unrelated -- would be one of the most beloved artists to perform in Vienna).
From 1881 to 1897, Wilhelm Jahn directed the house with Richter; this era saw Vienna premieres of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" (once again with lots of cuts), Smetana's "The Bartered Bride," Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana," and Humperdinck's "Hansel und Gretel." In a deal with Milan's La Scala, the Vienna Opera brought that company's best Italian casts to sing the first Vienna performances of Verdi's "Otello" and "Falstaff."
The golden age of the Vienna State Opera began in 1897 with the arrival of composer and conductor Gustav Mahler as director. He came with the endorsement of no less than Johannes Brahms, but Mahler was not universally accepted. He was a target of relentless anti-Semitism (his nominal conversion to Catholicism, a requirement of employment, did not deter his enemies). And Mahler's perfectionism didn't always go down well with the company's comfortably ensconced singers, who were now expected to work as a tight ensemble rather than do as they pleased in the old-fashioned, I'm-the-star way. Orchestra players also tired of his demands.
In artistic terms, the Mahler era was one of astonishing quality and growth. He taught the Viennese to appreciate and respect Mozart operas as never before; he restored all the music previously cut from Wagner operas; he introduced new works by Tchaikovsky, Puccini, and others; he hired the best and the brightest vocal artists, among them soprano Selma Kurz (she of the famously prolonged trill) and tenor Leo Slezak; and he engaged talented conductors, one of whom was Bruno Walter, to share the podium duties.
And Mahler demonstrated keen interest in what was seen onstage, not just heard. He often did his own directing and revealed remarkable theatrical instincts. He had the inspired idea of hiring Secessionist/Art Nouveau artist Alfred Roller as designer for the opera. Roller and Mahler brought color symbolism and subtlety to productions, achieving an extraordinary new level of integrated staging.
In the end, Mahler could not fight the factions aligned against him. He resigned in 1907. (In a kind of posthumous amends-making, a performance of Mahler's massive "Symphony No. 8" was held in the opera house in 1918, seven years after his death.) His successors included Felix Weingartner and, in 1911, Hans Gregor, who helped establish the Vienna State Opera as a showcase for the works of Richard Strauss, who himself served as co-director of the house with Franz Schalk after World War I.
Strauss eventually left in a huff, unable to work with Schalk, but not before making his mark as a compelling conductor. He also paved the way for new repertoire by the likes of Erich Korngold and Alexander Zemlinsky. During Schalk's solo reign (1924-29), he enraged the just-sprouting Nazi crowd by staging Ernst Krenek's modernist work "Jonny spielt auf" in 1927. All the while, new voices were added to the roster, including singers who would be among the most popular of their time, such as soprano Elisabeth Schumann and tenor Richard Tauber.
Notable conductor Clemens Krauss served as director from 1929 to 1934. He shook things up with a production of Alban Berg's modern classic "Wozzeck" and also continued to build a formidable roster of singers. He was succeed by several directors, including, for a short time, Bruno Walter.
Top banner photos: Soprano Genia Kúhmeier, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, and conductor Seiji Ozawa.
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Vienna State Opera interior |
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Men's choir of the Vienna State Opera Chorus. |
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The DVD is available from Amazon.com. |
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