Berlin State Opera facts for kids
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Staatsoper Unter den Linden
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| Named after | Unter den Linden boulevard |
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| Formation | 1743 |
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| Matthias Schulz | |
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General Music Director
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Christian Thielemann (designate, effective 1 September 2024) |
| Website | staatsoper-berlin.de |
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden (which means 'State Opera under the Lime Trees') is also known as the Berlin State Opera. It is a famous opera house located on the Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany.
The building was ordered by the Prussian king Frederick the Great. It was built from 1741 to 1743 based on plans by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. The style is called Palladian, which is a classical style. The opera house was damaged during World War II bombings. It was rebuilt between 1951 and 1955. People in Berlin often call it Lindenoper. It is known as "the world's oldest state opera." It was also the first theater to be a standalone, important building in a city.
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History of the Berlin State Opera
How the Opera Got Its Name
When it first opened, the opera house was called the Königliche Oper, meaning 'Royal Opera'. This was because it was built for the king.
After World War I, in 1919, its name changed to the Preußische Staatsoper, or 'Prussian State Opera'. After World War II, it became the national opera company for East Germany. In 1955, it was renamed the Deutsche Staatsoper, which means 'German State Opera'.
However, many people in West Germany and in everyday talk still called it the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. This name comes from the boulevard where the theater is located. This name became official in 1995, after East and West Germany reunited.
The Early Years of the Opera House
King Frederick II of Prussia decided to build the original opera house shortly after he became king. Construction started in July 1741. The architect, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, planned it as part of a larger area called "Forum Fredericianum."
Even though it wasn't fully finished, the Court Opera (Hofoper) opened on December 7, 1742. The first show was an opera called Cesare e Cleopatra by Carl Heinrich Graun. This event started a long partnership between the Staatsoper and the Staatskapelle Berlin. The Staatskapelle Berlin is the state orchestra, and its history goes back to the 1500s.
In 1821, the Berlin Opera hosted the first performance of Weber's Der Freischütz. In 1842, Wilhelm Taubert started the tradition of regular symphony concerts. That same year, Giacomo Meyerbeer became the General Music Director. Felix Mendelssohn also conducted concerts there for a year.
Sadly, on August 18, 1843, the Linden Opera was destroyed by fire. Architect Carl Ferdinand Langhans oversaw the rebuilding. The new Royal Opera House (Königliches Opernhaus) opened the next autumn. It started with a performance of Meyerbeer's Ein Feldlager in Schlesien. In 1849, Otto Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor also had its first performance here. The composer himself conducted it.
The 20th Century at the Opera
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many famous conductors worked at the Royal Court Opera in Berlin. These included Felix von Weingartner, Karl Muck, Richard Strauss, Leo Blech, and George Szell. After the German Empire ended in 1918, the Opera was renamed Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The royal orchestra became the Kapelle der Staatsoper.
In the 1920s, conductors like Kurt Adler, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Erich Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, and Bruno Walter worked there. In 1925, Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck had its first performance. Erich Kleiber conducted it, and the composer was there.
After a big renovation, the Linden Opera reopened on April 28, 1928. It started with a new show of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Famous singers like Delia Reinhardt and Richard Tauber performed. Erich Kleiber conducted the show. That same year, the famous Russian singer Feodor Chaliapin and Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes also performed there.
In 1930, Erich Kleiber conducted the first performance of Darius Milhaud's Christophe Colomb. However, in 1934, when pieces from Alban Berg's Lulu were performed, the National Socialists caused problems. As a result, Kleiber had to leave the country.
When the Nazis came to power, many Jewish members of the opera group were forced to leave. Many German musicians also went into exile. These included conductors like Kurt Adler, Otto Klemperer, and Fritz Busch. Clemens Krauss became a conductor at the Berlin State Opera in 1933. He then became its director in 1935 after Fritz Busch and Erich Kleiber resigned because they disagreed with the Nazi rule.
After the War
The opera house was badly damaged during World War II. It took a long time to rebuild it. From 1945, the opera company performed at the Admiralspalast. From 1949, it served as the state opera of East Germany.
The company moved back to its original home in 1955 after the rebuilding was finished. The newly rebuilt opera house opened again with Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. It can now hold about 1,300 people. After the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the Opera was somewhat cut off. However, it still offered many classic and modern operas and ballets.
After Germany reunited, the Linden Opera became a major part of the opera world again. They started performing older works, especially Baroque operas. These included Graun's Cleopatra e Cesare and Scarlatti's Griselda. These shows were often performed by Belgian conductor René Jacobs with orchestras that used old instruments. In the 1990s, the opera was officially renamed Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
In 1992, the Argentine-Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim became the Generalmusikdirektor (GMD), which means General Music Director. In 2000, the orchestra chose Barenboim as their "conductor for life." He led many important performances during his time there.
In 2009, the Berlin State Opera closed for major renovation work. German architect HG Merz led the project. The roof was raised, and the stage area was made longer to improve the sound. Other parts of the building were also renovated and expanded. The opera house reopened in 2017. It celebrated with new performances of Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel and Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea. The opera house is also home to the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra.
On January 6, 2023, Daniel Barenboim announced he was leaving his role as GMD due to health reasons. In September 2023, the company announced that Christian Thielemann would be the next GMD, starting on September 1, 2024.
Images for kids
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Exterior of the State Opera at evening blue hour, 2018
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Auditorium of the State Opera on the day of reopening on October 3, 2017, after seven years of renovation
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Auditorium, 2021
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Apollo Hall, 2021
Leadership
Many important people have led the Staatsoper Unter den Linden over the years. Here are some of the notable General Music Directors and conductors:
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See also
In Spanish: Staatsoper Unter den Linden para niños
