Volksoper Wien, Vienna, Austria
The Volksoper Wien is one of Europe's leading operetta House and Vienna's largest theatre for opera, musical and dance - offering quality musical entertainment. Along with 18th, 19th and 20th century operas there are more than 100 performances of (Viennese) operettas per year, as well as classical musical and contemporary dance.
When it first started, the Volksoper Wien was neither a state-run theatre nor an opera house. It opened in 1898 as the "Kaiser's Jubilee Civic Theatre" and was initially run as a conventional stage for drama. Standard and comic singspiel operas had to wait until 1903 before they were incorporated into the repertoire: and Vienna's Civic Theatre gradually metamorphosed into the present day Volksoper Wien.
"Tosca" (1907) and "Salome" (1910) were first performed in Wien at the Volksoper Vienna; world famous singers such as Maria Jeritza, Leo Slezak or Richard Tauber appeared at the Volksoper Wien at the very outset of their careers; this was where Alexander Zemlinsky worked as a conductor and became first kapellmeister in 1906. Although the Volksoper Wien managed to attain a position as Vienna's second prestige opera house in the wake of the First World War, after 1929 it reverted to being a "New Viennese Theatre" with a repertoire focusing on light opera.
After the Second World War, the Volksoper Wien acted as the preferred alternative venue to the devastated Wiener Staatsoper. With the re-opening of the Staatsoper in 1955, the Volksoper Wien again became an independent musical theatre featuring opera, operetta, and musicals. Ever since then, directors Franz Salmhofer (1955-63), Albert Moser (1963-73), Karl Dönch (1973-86), Eberhard Waechter (1987-92) Ioan Holender (1992-96) Klaus Bachler (1996-99) and Dominique Mentha (1999 - 2003) have helped to make the Volksoper Wien what it is today. In September 2003, Rudolf Berger - former Opera Director in Strasbourg - became Director of this 1,400 seat repertory theatre.
Last update 2007 Editorial Team Classictic.com
Address:
Volksoper Wien
Währinger Strasse 78
1090 Vienna
Events:
Volksoper Wien: Orpheus in the underworld
Volksoper Vienna: The Magic Flute
Queen Dance Homage
Volksoper Vienna: The Merry Widow
Volksoper Vienna: The Marriage of Figaro
Volksoper Vienna: The Csardas Princess
Volksoper Wien: My Fair Lady
Volksoper Wien: Der Barbier von Sevilla
Volksoper Vienna: The Sound of Music
Volksoper Wien: Die Weberischen
Orpheus in the Underworld
How to get there:
Währinger Strasse is situated in the centre of Vienna.
Public transport - Station Volksoper:
Tube U6
Tram 40, 41, 42
Bus 40A
