Hellmuth Matiasek

Hellmuth Matiasek (; 15 May 1931 – 7 April 2022; also spelled Helmuth)Helmuth Matiasek: ''Die Komik der Clowns''. (in German) Dissertation. Universität Wien, Vienna 1958
ONB
/ref> was an Austrian theatre and film director, theatre manager and teacher. He founded a small avant-garde theatre in Vienna at age 22. After working at the Salzburger Landestheater as stage director, he became the company's intendant (managing director) in 1962, then the youngest intendant in German-speaking theatre. From 1983 to 1996, he was intendant of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich, where he co-founded and later managed the drama school Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding. He was close to the composer Carl Orff, and managed the Carl Orff-Festspiele Andechs.

Life

Education

Born in Vienna, Matiasek studied acting at the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar of the University of Music and Performing Arts ViennaHellmuth Matiasek / österreichischer Regisseur und Intendant; Prof.; Dr. phil.
Munzinger as well as theatre studies, musicology, German studies and philosophy at the University of Vienna. He completed his studies in 1958Matiasek, Hellmuth
on Austria-Forum with the promotion about ''Komik eines Clowns'' to Dr.phil.

Theatre

In 1953, Matiasek founded the avant-garde student theatre ''Kaleidoskop'' in Vienna (later: ''Atelier-Theater''), and acted as its director. From 1960, he worked at the Städtische Bühnen Köln where Oscar Fritz Schuh was director. From 1962, he worked as director at the Salzburger Landestheater He became intendant (managing director) of the Salzburg theatre in 1962, then the youngest person in German-speaking theatre to achieve such a position. Around that time, he met the composer Carl Orff, whose works would be a constant in his productions. From 1964, Matiasek was general director of the Staatstheater Braunschweig, from 1978 he held the same position at the Wuppertaler Bühnen, and from 1983 to 1996 he was intendant of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich. His last stage direction there was Verdi's last opera, ''Falstaff''.

Matiasek was also artistic director of the in Andechs from 1997 to 2006. He directed all stage works for the festival dedicated to Carl Orff who is buried there, and made the event attractive beyond the region. He was simultaneously president of the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding.

Matiasek worked as a guest director at several theatres in Germany and abroad, including the Hamburgische Staatsoper, Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, in Munich, the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Staatstheater Stuttgart, the Burgtheater in Vienna, as well as the Bregenzer Festspiele. At the Salzburg Festival, he directed in 1967 Mozart's ''Ascanio in Alba'' in sets designed by Ekkehard Grübler and conducted by Leopold Hager.

Teaching activities and memberships

Matiasek was director of the Otto-Falckenberg-Schule in Munich from 1972 to 1978. He co-founded the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding in 1993, and became its president in 2000, after Everding's death. He was also involved in the International Theatre Institute (ITI). Matiasek was a member of the supervisory board of the Bundestheater-Holding and was program advisory board of the European Forum Alpbach.

Personal life

Matiasek was married from 1967, in second marriage, with the actress Cornelia Froboess. They settled in the countryside in Rosenheim. The couple had a daughter, Agnes, and a son, Kaspar.Cornelia Froboess / Wunderkinder haben es schwer
(in German) ''Berliner Morgenpost'' 28 December 2019

Matiasek died in Rosenheim on 7 April 2022, at the age of 90.

Publications

Matiasek wrote the libretto for a musical mystery play ''Das Salzburger Spiel vom verloren Sohn'', about the Prodigal Son, based on old sources. With music by Wilfried Hiller for soloist, choir, children's choir and instrumental ensemble, it was published by Schott. The world premiere at the Kollegienkirche in Salzburg on 4 October 2015 was conducted by .

Honours

In 1963 Matiasek was awarded the Austrian Theaterdirektoren-Preis, in 1992 the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany first class and in 1993 the Austrian Decoration of Honour for Science and Art; in 1996 he was awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit; in 2003 he received the and in 2008 the award ' of Bavaria.

References

Further reading

*

External links

*

Matiasek, Hellmuth
austria-forum.org
*
*


'' Der Spiegel'' 1987
* ttps://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/person/gnd/123541980 Hellmuth Matiasekdeutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matiasek, Hellmuth
1931 births
2022 deaths
Austrian theatre directors
Austrian opera directors
Austrian television directors
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Mass media people from Vienna
Theatre people from Vienna