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The Mannheim National Theatre (german: Nationaltheater Mannheim) is a theatre and
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
company in
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...
, Germany, with a variety of performance spaces. It was founded in 1779 and is one of the oldest theatres in Germany.


History

In the 18th century Mannheim was the capital of the
Electoral Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...
and the residence city of the reigning prince-electors. When Charles Theodore also became the Duke of Bavaria in 1777, he moved to
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
and brought the theatre company of Theobald Marchand with him from Mannheim. In 1778 he instructed the courtier
Wolfgang Heribert von Dalberg Wolfgang Heribert Kämmerer von Worms Freiherr von Dalberg (born 18 November 1750 in Worms-Herrnsheim, died 27 September 1806 in Mannheim) was a courtier and statesman of Margraviate of Baden, Baden, who served as Minister of State and Grand Master ...
—the brother of Prince-Elector and Grand Duke
Karl Theodor von Dalberg Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and ...
—to establish a new theatre in Mannheim. At first Dalberg contracted
Abel Seyler Abel Seyler (23 August 1730, Liestal – 25 April 1800, Rellingen) was a Swiss-born theatre director and former merchant banker, who was regarded as one of the great theatre principals of 18th century Europe. He played a pivotal role in the devel ...
's
theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
with performing in Mannheim on an occasional basis from 1778 to 1779. Performances included
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
plays such as ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' and ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
''. In the autumn of 1779 Seyler moved permanently to Mannheim with the remaining members of his theatre company. Several actors who had been affiliated with the Gotha Court Theatre under Konrad Ekhof's direction—essentially an offshoot of the Seyler Theatre Company—also joined him; Ekhof himself had died the previous year. The Mannheim National Theatre opened in October 1779 with Seyler as its first artistic director (''Direktor'') and Dalberg as its general administrator (''Intendant''). Seyler remained as director until 1781.
Jahrbuch der deutschen Shakespeare-Gesellschaft
', vol. 9 (1874), pp. 296–297
In the past three hundred years, an important part of the history of German theatre and music history was written both in the original theatre and in Mannheim where new artistic styles were developed and refined in theatre, music and dance. Thus it reflects the tradition of many of the major names of the German arts such as
Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
. In terms of the history of the company,
Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
's first major drama, ''
The Robbers ''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first drama by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim, Germany, and was inspired by Leisewitz' earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It ...
'' () was given its inaugural performance in 1782 in presence of the playwright at the National Theatre. The response was overwhelming: "the theatre resembled a lunatic asylum, rolling eyes, clenched fists, ramming feet, hoarse proclamations in the auditorium! Strange humans fell onto each other locked together…."


Performance venues

The venues of the present-day theatre consist of: * Opera House with 1,200 seats, used primarily for opera, operetta, and ballet * Schauspielhaus with 800 seats, used for small presentation such as chamber music and theatre. * Schnawwl, the youth and children's theatre Opera House and Schauspielhaus are two theatres under one roof. They share common foyers and other facilities.


Theatre and other festivals

The ''Schillertage'', the biannual festival of Schiller's plays that has existed since 1979, selects a group of productions for the Mannheim festival presented both on the theatre's mainstage (plus an experimental series of plays elsewhere). In the past, the main stage series has featured multiple productions of Schiller's early play, ''
The Robbers ''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first drama by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim, Germany, and was inspired by Leisewitz' earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It ...
'' (in addition to a production of
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the ...
's opera based on that play, ''
I masnadieri ''I masnadieri'' (''The Bandits'' or ''The Robbers'') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Andrea Maffei, based on the play ''Die Räuber'' by Friedrich von Schiller. As Verdi became more successful in Italy, he be ...
''), as well as ''
Intrigue and Love ''Intrigue and Love'', sometimes ''Love and Intrigue'', ''Love and Politics'' or ''Luise Miller'' (german: Kabale und Liebe, ; literally "''Cabal and Love''") is a five-act play written by the German dramatist Friedrich Schiller. His third play, ...
'', and his later plays '' William Tell'' (1804) (the basis for
Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...
's opera of the same name in 1829) and '' The Maid of Orleans'' (''Die Jungfrau von Orléans''), some of which became part of
Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's opera.


Music at the National Theatre

Mannheim was home to the so-called Mannheim School of 18th-century classical composers. It was reputed to have one of the best court orchestras in Europe and, for more than 200 years, the Mannheim School had been recognized by musicians all over the world. Johann Stamitz and his pupil and successor
Christian Cannabich Johann Christian Innocenz Bonaventura Cannabich (28 December 1731 (bapt.) – 20 January 1798), was a German violinist, composer, and Kapellmeister of the Classical era. A composer of some 200 works, he continued the legacy of Johann Stamitz ...
made the Mannheim Court Orchestra one of the best in the world. In the 18th century this excellent court ensemble attracted many outstanding musicians. Thus numerous famous soloists came to Mannheim to work as composers as well as pedagogues.


History since 1900

By the early 19th century, disagreements between the Grand-Duchy of Baden and the City on Mannheim over the financing of the theatre finally resulted in a ministerial order in April 1839 that the responsibility for running the theatre be handed over to the City of Mannheim, and thus it became the first locally-administered theatre in Germany. Following the destruction of the theatre and parts of the city of Mannheim in September 1943, ten years were to pass before an architectural competition for a new theatre was proposed. The original design, while still considered a classic of modern theatre architecture, was not used. Instead, between 1955 and 1957 a new theatre building was constructed at Goethe Place (not in the same location as the original National Theatre) utilizing the designs of the architect Gerhard Weber. The new National Theatre building was inaugurated in 1957 with simultaneous productions of
Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas, ...
's ''
Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 1810 ...
'' in the Opera House and (fitting for its reflection of the theatre's early history)
Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
's
The Robbers ''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first drama by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim, Germany, and was inspired by Leisewitz' earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It ...
in the ''Schauspielhaus''. In 1979, the Youth and Children's Theatre ensemble (''Schnawwl'') was set up with its main theatre space being the converted from an old fire station on the Mannheimer Neckarstadt.


People


Administrators and directors

*
Wolfgang Heribert von Dalberg Wolfgang Heribert Kämmerer von Worms Freiherr von Dalberg (born 18 November 1750 in Worms-Herrnsheim, died 27 September 1806 in Mannheim) was a courtier and statesman of Margraviate of Baden, Baden, who served as Minister of State and Grand Master ...
(as administrator from 1779) *
Abel Seyler Abel Seyler (23 August 1730, Liestal – 25 April 1800, Rellingen) was a Swiss-born theatre director and former merchant banker, who was regarded as one of the great theatre principals of 18th century Europe. He played a pivotal role in the devel ...
(as director 1779–1781)


Conductors

The leading conductors were first named ''Hofkapellmeister''. From 1923 the title was
Generalmusikdirektor A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...
. * Ignaz Fränzl (1779–1803) * Johann Peter Ritter (1803–1823) * Michael Frey (1823–1832) * Joseph Eschborn (1832-1834) *
Franz Lachner Franz Paul Lachner (2 April 1803 – 20 January 1890) was a German composer and conductor. Biography Lachner was born in Rain am Lech to a musical family (his brothers Ignaz, Theodor and Vinzenz also became musicians). He studied music with ...
(1834–1836) *
Vinzenz Lachner Vinzenz Lachner (also spelled Vincenz) (19 July 1811 – 22 January 1893)"Vinzenz Lachner", ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians''. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1980. was a German composer and conductor. Early life Born in Rain am ...
(1836–1872) * Ernst Frank (1872–1877) * Franz Fischer (1877–1880) * Emil Paur (1880–1889) * Felix Weingartner (1889–1891) *
Hugo Röhr Hugo Röhr (13 February 1866 – 7 June 1937) was a German conductor, composer and academic teacher. Life Born in Dresden, Röhr studied with Franz Wüllner, Adolf Blaßmann and Felix Draeseke at the conservatory in Dresden. Röhr first worked ...
(1892–1896) * Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek (1896–1899) * Willibald Kaehler (1899–1906) * Hermann Kutzschbach (1906–1909) *
Artur Bodanzky Artur Bodanzky (also written as Artur Bodzansky) (16 December 1877 – 23 November 1939) was an Austrian-American conductor particularly associated with the operas of Wagner. He conducted Enrico Caruso's last performance at the Metropolitan Oper ...
(1909–1915) *
Wilhelm Furtwängler Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler ( , , ; 25 January 188630 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a major ...
(1915–1920) * Franz von Hoeßlin (1920–1922) *
Erich Kleiber Erich Kleiber (5 August 1890 – 27 January 1956) was an Austrian, later Argentine, conductor, known for his interpretations of the classics and as an advocate of new music. Kleiber was born in Vienna, and after studying at the Prague Conservato ...
(1922–1923) * Richard Lert (1923–1928) * Erich Orthmann (1928–1930) *
Joseph Rosenstock Joseph Rosenstock (, ; in Kraków in New York City) was an American conductor. Career Early years He worked at the State Theatre in Darmstadt, where, on , he conducted '' Hagith'' by Karol Szymanowski, and at the State Opera in Wiesbaden, w ...
(1930–1933) * Philipp Wüst (1933–1936) * Karl Elmendorff (1936–1942) * Eugen Bodart (1942–1944) * Richard Laugs (1945–1947) * Fritz Rieger (1947–1950) *
Eugen Szenkar Eugen Szenkar (Hungarian: Szenkár Jenő; 9 April 189125 March 1977) was a Hungarian-born German-Brazilian conductor who made an international career in Austria, Germany, Russia, and Brazil. He promoted the stage works of Bela Bartók and other c ...
(1950–1951) *
Herbert Albert Herbert Albert (26 December 1903, Bad Lausick – 15 September 1973) was a German conductor. Albert was born in Lausick and died in Bad Reichenhall. After studying with Karl Muck as a pianist he later held a succession of music director ...
(1951–1963) *
Horst Stein Horst Walter Stein (born 2 May 1928 in Elberfeld, Germany; died 27 July 2008 in Vandœuvres, Switzerland) was a German conductor. Biography Stein's father was a mechanic. At school in Frankfurt, he studied piano, oboe, and singing. Late ...
(1963–1970) *
Hans Wallat Hans Wallat (18 October 1929 – 11 December 2014) was a German conductor, GMD in Bremen, at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Theater Dortmund and Deutsche Oper am Rhein. A specialist for the stage works of Richard Wagner, he appeared at the Bayre ...
(1970–1980) *
Wolfgang Rennert Wolfgang Rennert (1 April 1922 – 24 March 2012) was a German Conducting, conductor. He focused on opera, at the Oper Frankfurt, Staatsoper Berlin, Mannheim National Theatre and the Semperoper, among others. He premiered operas, such as Louise Ta ...
(1980–1985) * Peter Schneider (1985–1987) *
Friedemann Layer Friedemann Layer (30 October 1941 – 3 November 2019) was an Austrian conductor. He was assistant to Herbert von Karajan in Ulm and to Karl Böhm. In 1989, he conducted a film version of ''Der Schauspieldirektor'', with Zdzisława Donat and Chri ...
(1987–1990 und 2007–2009) *
Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez (born 1949 in Granada, Spain) is a Spanish conductor and composer. With Germanic education, he is known for his ability not to need a score when conducting and for his rigour when he interprets works always re ...
(1990–1993) *
Jun Märkl Jun Märkl (born 11 February 1959 in Munich) is a German conductor. Biography Born to a Japanese pianist mother and a German violinist father, Märkl studied piano and the violin as a youth. Beginning in 1978 at the Musikhochschule Hannover he co ...
(1993–2000) *
Ádám Fischer Ádám Fischer (born 9 September 1949 in Budapest) is a Hungarian conductor. He is the general music director of the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, chief conductor of the Danish Chamber Orchestra, and chief conductor of the Düsseldorfer Sy ...
(2000–2005) *
Frédéric Chaslin Frédéric Chaslin (; born 1963, in Paris) is a French conductor, composer and pianist. He recently joined the prestigious Music publishing house Universal Edition in Vienna. The son of an architect, Chaslin studied at the Conservatoire de Paris ...
(2005–2006) * Axel Kober (2006–2007) * Dan Ettinger (2009–2016) *
Alexander Soddy Alexander Soddy (born 20 December 1982) is a British conductor and pianist. Since the 2016–17 season, Soddy has been general music director at the Nationaltheater Mannheim and in this capacity also artistic director of the Musikalische Akademi ...
(2016–today)


Administration and musical performances in the 21st century

At the beginning of the 21st century, the National Theatre has revived the "Mannheim Tradition" with the inauguration of the International Orchestra Academy in Mannheim. Experts in the field of historic instruments and performance and musicians from the orchestra of the National Theatre will work with young musicians and music students. They will teach the special stylistic requirements of orchestral playing in the 18th century. From September 2000,
Ádám Fischer Ádám Fischer (born 9 September 1949 in Budapest) is a Hungarian conductor. He is the general music director of the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, chief conductor of the Danish Chamber Orchestra, and chief conductor of the Düsseldorfer Sy ...
was General Music Director of National Theater Mannheim and he completed his term in July 2005 with a performance of ''
Götterdämmerung ' (; ''Twilight of the Gods''), WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled (''The Ring of the Nibelung'', or ''The Ring Cycle'' or ''The Ring'' for short). It received its premiere at the on 17 August 1876, as ...
''. During his tenure, Fischer made the theatre one of the best interpreters of Mozart in Europe. He started two major projects in Mannheim, one the Mannheim Mozart Week, the other the Mannheim School, a summer seminar for young people from all over the world. Highlighting works by Mozart, the National Theatre focused on his music and performed many of his works including unknown pieces composed for the Mannheim Orchestra. Overall, Fischer conducted two or three new productions each year including the Mannheim Ring cycle. The four productions were produced separately in 2000, then Fischer conducted 9 cycles over 5 years. Fischer's successor,
Frédéric Chaslin Frédéric Chaslin (; born 1963, in Paris) is a French conductor, composer and pianist. He recently joined the prestigious Music publishing house Universal Edition in Vienna. The son of an architect, Chaslin studied at the Conservatoire de Paris ...
, took over in 2005 and was succeeded in 2007 by Axel Kober.


References


External links

*
Information by Mannheim tourist information
{{Theatre companies in Germany Opera houses in Germany German opera companies
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...
1957 establishments in West Germany Theatres completed in 1779 Music venues completed in 1779 Theatres completed in 1957 Music venues completed in 1957 Buildings and structures in Mannheim Tourist attractions in Mannheim