Semperoper

{{short description|Opera house and concert hall in Dresden, Germany}}

{{Infobox venue

| name = Semperoper

| image = 250px

| image_caption = The Semperoper in 2013|

| logo_image = Semperoper Logo.svg

| location = Dresden, Germany

| coordinates = {{coord|51|03|16|N|13|44|07|E|region:DE-SN_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| type = Opera house, concert hall

| broke_ground =

| built = 1841 (original)
1878 (first reconstruction)
1985 (second reconstruction)

| opened =

| owner =

| architect = Gottfried Semper

| seating_capacity = 1,300

| publictransit =

| website = {{official|semperoper.de|https://www.semperoper.de/en/}}

}}

The Semperoper ({{IPA|de|ˈzɛmpɐˌʔoːpɐ|-|de-Semperoper.ogg}}) is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the Theaterplatz near the Elbe River in the historic centre of Dresden, Germany.

The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841. After a devastating fire in 1869, the opera house was rebuilt, partly again by Semper, and completed in 1878. The opera house has a long history of premieres, including major works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.

History

File:Dresden Hoftheater J C A Richter.jpg

File:Erstes Opernhaus Sempers ca1850 1860.jpg

The first opera house at the location of today's Semperoper was built by the architect Gottfried Semper. It opened on 13 April 1841 with an opera by Carl Maria von Weber. The building style itself is debated among many, as it has features that appear in three styles: early Renaissance and Baroque, with Corinthian style pillars typical of Greek classical revival. Perhaps the most suitable label for this style would be eclecticism, where influences from many styles are used, a practice most common during this period.Fritz Löffler: Das alte Dresden – Geschichte seiner Bauten. 16th ed. Leipzig: Seemann, 2006, {{ISBN|978-3-86502-000-0}} {{in lang|de}}. The opera building, Semper's first, was regarded as one of the most beautiful European opera houses.

File:Fotothek df pk 0000156 013 Aufnahmen von M. Friedrichs, M. Fischer, Hermann Matern, Arno Schellenberg und F.jpg.]]

File:Dresden hausmannsturm theaterplatz.jpg

Following a devastating fire in 1869, the citizens of Dresden immediately set about rebuilding their opera house. They demanded that Gottfried Semper do the reconstruction, even though he was then in exile because of his involvement in the May 1849 uprising in Dresden. The architect had his son, Manfred Semper, build the second opera house using his plans. Completed in 1878, it was built in Neo-Renaissance style. During construction, performances were held at the Gewerbehaussaal, which opened in 1870.

The building is considered a prime example of Baroque Revival architecture. It is situated on the Theatre Square in central Dresden on the bank of the Elbe River. On top of the portal there is a Panther quadriga with a statue of Dionysos. The interior was created by architects of the time, such as Johannes Schilling. Monuments on the portal depict artists, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, William Shakespeare, Sophocles, Molière and Euripides. The building also features work by Ernst Rietschel and Ernst Julius Hähnel.{{cite web | title=Dresden Semperoper | date=7 October 2008| url=http://mostlyopera.blogspot.com/2008/10/dresden-semperoper.html| publisher=Mostly Opera | access-date=9 August 2009}} In the pre-war years, the Semperoper premiered many of the works of Richard Strauss.

File:011 Dresden - Semperoper.jpg

File:SemperoperFotoThalerTamas.jpg

In 1945, during the last months of World War II, the building was largely destroyed again, this time by the bombing of Dresden and subsequent firestorm, leaving only the exterior shell standing. Exactly 40 years later, on 13 February 1985, the opera's reconstruction was completed. It was rebuilt almost identically to its appearance before the war, but with the benefit of new stage machinery and an accompanying modern rear service building.{{cite web | title=Dresden Sights and Views – Semper Opera House – | url=http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Germany/dresden-semper-opera.html| publisher=sights-and-culture.com | access-date=9 August 2009}} The Semperoper reopened with the opera that was performed just before the building's destruction in 1945, Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz. When the Elbe flooded in 2002, the building suffered heavy water damage. With substantial help from around the world, it reopened in December of that year.

Present-day administration and operations

Today, the orchestra for most operas is the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. The Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Semperoper is normally a different conductor from that of the Staatskapelle when it presents concerts. Exceptions have been Karl Böhm, Hans Vonk, and Fabio Luisi{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/arts/music/05fabio.html|title=Saxon State Opera's Music Director Quits|work=The New York Times|author=Daniel J. Wakin|date=4 February 2010|access-date=6 February 2010}} who have held both positions. Whilst the Semperoper does not have a GMD as of 2015, the chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden was Christian Thielemann, as of the 2012/13 season.{{cite press release|url=http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de/staatskapelle/christian-thielemann|title=Christian Thielemann Chefdirigent ab 2012|publisher=Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden|date=9 October 2009|access-date=4 December 2010}} The current Intendant (General Manager) of the company is Wolfgang Rothe.

Since the 2018–2019 season, the Intendant of the Semperoper is Peter Theiler. In May 2021, his initial contract as Intendant was extended through the 2023–2024 season, at which time Theiler is scheduled to conclude his tenure in the post.{{cite news | url=https://www.mdr.de/kultur/musik/saechsische-staatskapelle-christian-thielemann-vertrag-ende-100.html | title=Sächsische Staatskapelle: Vertrag mit Christian Thielemann wird nicht verlängert | work=MDR Kultur | date=2021-05-11 | access-date=2021-05-12}} In June 2021, the Semperoper announced the appointment of Nora Schmid as the incoming Intendantin of the company (the second woman to hold the post, after Ulrike Hessler), effective with the 2024–2025 season.{{cite news | url=https://www.mdr.de/kultur/themen/semperoper-dresden-neue-intendantin-nora-schmid-100.html | title=Semperoper Dresden: Nora Schmid wird Intendantin | work=MDR Kultur | date=2021-06-09 | access-date=2021-06-14}}

Associated artists

=Conductors=

Carl Gottlieb Reißiger
Richard Wagner
Ernst von Schuch (1889–1914)
Fritz Reiner (1914–1921)
Fritz Busch (1922–1933)
Karl Böhm (1934–1942)
Karl Elmendorff (1943–1944)
Joseph Keilberth (1945–1951)
Rudolf Kempe (1949–1952)
Otmar Suitner (1960–1964)
Kurt Sanderling (1964–1967)
Herbert Blomstedt (1975–1985)
Hans Vonk (1985–1990)
Giuseppe Sinopoli (1992–2001)
Semyon Bychkov (2001–2002)
Bernard Haitink (2002–2004)
Fabio Luisi (2007–2010)
Christian Thielemann (2012–2024)

=Singers=

Operas premiered

1842: Richard Wagner – Rienzi, 20 October
1843: Richard Wagner – The Flying Dutchman'', 2 January
1845: Richard Wagner – Tannhäuser, 19 October
1895: Eugen d'Albert: Ghismonda, 28 November
1901: Richard Strauss – Feuersnot, 22 November
1905: Richard Strauss – Salome, 9 December
1909: Richard Strauss – Elektra, 25 January
1911: Richard Strauss – Der Rosenkavalier, 26 January
1913: Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari – L'amore medico, 4 December
1916: Eugen d'Albert – Die toten Augen, 5 March
1917: Hans Pfitzner – Das Christ-Elflein (2nd version), 11 December
1924: Richard Strauss – Intermezzo, 4 November
1925: Ferruccio Busoni – Doktor Faust, 21 May
1926: Kurt Weill – Der Protagonist, 27 March
1926: Paul Hindemith – Cardillac, 9 November
1927: Emil von Reznicek – Spiel oder Ernst
1927: Othmar Schoeck – Penthesilea, 8 January
1928: Richard Strauss – Die ägyptische Helena, 6 June
1930: Othmar Schoeck – Vom Fischer and syner Fru, 3 October
1932: Eugen d'Albert – Mr Wu
1933: Richard Strauss – Arabella, 1 July
1935: Richard Strauss – Die schweigsame Frau, 24 June
1935: Rudolf Wagner-Régeny – Der Günstling, 20 February
1937: Othmar Schoeck – Massimilla Doni, 2 March
1938: Richard Strauss – Daphne, 15 October
1940: Heinrich Sutermeister – Romeo und Julia, 13 April
1942: Heinrich Sutermeister – Die Zauberinsel, 31 October
1944: Gottfried von Einem – Prinzessin Turandot, 5 February
1944: Joseph Haas – Die Hochzeit des Jobs, 2 July
1985: Siegfried Matthus – Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke, 16 February
1989: Eckehard Meyer – Der goldene Topf, 1989
1998: Matthias Pintscher – Thomas Chatterton, 25 May
2001: Peter Ruzicka – Celan, 25 March
2008: Manfred Trojahn – La grande magia, 10 May
2010: Hans Werner Henze – Gisela (Dresden version), 20 November
2011: Miroslav Srnka – Jakub Flügelbunt , 15 December
2012: Johannes Wulff-Woesten – Die Konferenz der Tiere, 8 July
2013: Johannes Wulff-Woesten – Prinz Bussel, 27 April