Vienna State Opera

Vienna State Opera (German: Wiener Staatsoper), located in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most important opera companies in Europe. Until 1920 it was named the Vienna Court Opera (Hofoper).

The company

Gustav Mahler is one of the many illustrious conductors who have worked in Vienna. During his tenure, Mahler cultivated a new generation of singers, such as Anna Bahr-Mildenburg, Selma Kurz and Leo Slezak and recruited a stage designer who replaced the lavish historical stage décors for sparse stage scenery corresponding to modernistic, Jugendstil tastes. Mahler also introduced the practice of dimming the lighting in the theatre during performances, which was initially not appreciate by the audience. However, Mahler's reforms were maintained by his successors.

Related Topics:
Gustav Mahler - Jugendstil

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The company is currently headed by Seiji Ozawa. Other conductors at Vienna have included Hans Richter, Felix Weingartner, Richard Strauss, Clemens Krauss, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, and Riccardo Muti.

Related Topics:
Seiji Ozawa - Hans Richter - Felix Weingartner - Richard Strauss - Clemens Krauss - Wilhelm Furtwängler - Bruno Walter - Karl Böhm - Herbert von Karajan - Lorin Maazel - Claudio Abbado - Riccardo Muti

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Until the directorship was taken over by von Karajan, Vienna maintained a permanent ensemble. Von Karajan introduced the policy of engaging guest singers.

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The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which is an incorporated society of its own, but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.

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