The Staatsoper Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Opera) is a German
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 based in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...
, the capital of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, Germany. The
Staatsorchester Stuttgart serves as its resident orchestra.
History
Performances of operas, ballet and plays in Stuttgart took place from the 17th century at the hall of . The probably first opera production was in 1660 the
singspiel
A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plur ...
''Der Raub der Proserpina'' by Hofkapellmeister
Samuel Capricornus. Four years later, a permanent stage was established. In 1750, the building was remodeled as Stuttgart's
opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets.
While some venues are constructed specifically fo ...
, named ''Königliches Hoftheater'' (Royal Court Theatre) in 1811. It burnt down in 1902, and opera was performed in a provisional ''Interimstheater''.
Today's opera house was built from 1909 to 1912 by architect
Max Littmann from Munich, with two halls, ''Großes Haus'' and ''Kleines Haus''. After the end of the monarchy in 1918, the theatres were named ''Württembergische Landestheater''. The ''Kleines Haus'', site of the world premiere of the first version of ''
Ariadne auf Naxos
(''Ariadne on Naxos''), Op. 60, is a 1912 opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The opera's unusual combination of elements of low commedia dell'arte with those of high opera seria points up one of the work's ...
'' by Richard Strauss, was destroyed in World War II.
[Finanzministerium Baden-Württemberg 1983, p. 42.]
Staatsoper Stuttgart forms part of the
Staatstheater Stuttgart, a three-branch theatre organisation for opera, play and
Stuttgart Ballet. The house, which has been a listed building since 1924, currently has 1,404 seats and a per-season audience of approximately 250,000. An important centre for opera since the 17th century, Stuttgart has again become an important and influential centre since the war, particularly for contemporary works. Three operas by
Carl Orff
Carl Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, best known for his cantata '' Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education.
Life
Early life
Carl ...
received their premieres there and the company has been associated with figures such as
Wieland Wagner
Wieland Wagner (5 January 1917 – 17 October 1966) was a German opera director, grandson of Richard Wagner. As co-director of the Bayreuth Festival when it re-opened after World War II, he was noted for innovative new stagings of the operas, depa ...
,
Günther Rennert,
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as ...
and
Philip Glass
Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimalism, being built up from repetitive ...
.
Klaus Zehelein era (1991–2006)
During the era of Opera Intendant
Klaus Zehelein
Klaus Zehelein (born September 5, 1940) is a German dramaturge. He was president of the Munich Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding. Zehelein is also president of the association of German theatres, Deutscher Bühnenverein. For fifteen years ...
, the company has won the Opera House of the Year award by the German magazine ''
Opernwelt
''Opernwelt'' (''Opera World'') is a monthly German magazine for opera, operetta and ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert ...
'' more often than any other company: in 1994 (the inaugural award), 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 and in 2006.
Pamela Rosenberg was co-opera Intendant between 1991 and 2000, with
Eytan Pessen acting as casting director from 2001 to 2006. Klaus Zehelein brought in directors
Ruth Berghaus
Ruth Berghaus (2 July 1927 – 25 January 1996) was a German choreographer, opera and theatre director, and artistic director.
Life and career
Berghaus was born in Dresden and studied Expressionist dance and Dance direction with Gret Palucca the ...
,
Christof Nel,
Hans Neuenfels,
Peter Konwitschny and . He created the Junge Oper, dedicated to performing music theatre works for young audiences. Numerous CD and DVD productions document Zehelein's interest in modern works and new staging concepts. Under Zehelein's direction, the Stuttgart Opera was an ensemble-based opera company, with
Catherine Naglestad,
Tichina Vaughn,
Eva-Maria Westbroek were members of his ensemble, and
Jonas Kaufmann a frequent guest artist. Music directors were
Gabriele Ferro and
Lothar Zagrosek,
Nicola Luisotti
Nicola Luisotti (born 26 November 1961, in Viareggio, Italy) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds the title "Director Principal Invitado" (principal guest conductor) of Madrid's Teatro Real.
Biography
Luisotti grew up in Bargecchia. H ...
conducted frequently during Zehelein's era. Albrecht Puhlmann succeeded Zehelein as the company's ''Intendant''.
Present
Manfred Honeck 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 ...
'' (GMD) from 2007 to 2011. Jossi Wieler was ''
Intendant
An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...
''(artistic director) of the company from 2011 until 2018, succeeding Albrecht Puhlmann. In April 2010, Wieler appointed
Sylvain Cambreling
Sylvain Cambreling (born 2 July 1948 in Amiens, France) is a French conductor.
Biography
Trained as a trombone player, Cambreling studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He joined l' Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (OSL) as a trombonist in 1971. In 19 ...
as ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD) of the company, effective with the 2012-2013 season. Wieler and Cambreling each stood down from their respective posts with the company in 2018.
Since 2018, Viktor Schoner is ''Intendant'' of the company.
Cornelius Meister became GMD of the company also in 2018. In October 2022, the company announced the extension of Meister's contract as GMD through 2026.
General Music Directors
*
Fritz Busch (1918–1922)
*
Carl Leonhardt (1918–1922)
*
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 ...
(1937–1942)
*
Ferdinand Leitner
Ferdinand Leitner (4 March 1912 in Berlin – 3 June 1996 in Zürich) was a German conductor. Leitner studied under Franz Schreker, Julius Prüwer, Artur Schnabel and Karl Muck.
He also was a composition student with Robert Kahn. Starting as ...
(1947–1969)
*
Václav Neumann
Václav Neumann (29 October 1920 – 2 September 1995) was a Czech conductor, violinist, violist, and opera director.
Life and career
Neumann was born in Prague, where he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Micka (violin), and ...
(1970–1972)
*
Silvio Varviso (1972–1980)
*
Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist, He is currently the music director and chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic.
Biography
Davies studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard Sch ...
(1980–1987)
*
Luis Antonio García Navarro
Luis Antonio García Navarro (30 April 1941 in Chiva, Valencian Community, Spain – 10 October 2001 in Madrid, Spain), was a Spanish conductor.
Biography
García Navarro was born in Chiva (Spain), and studied in Valencia and the Madrid Royal ...
(1987–1991)
*
Gabriele Ferro (1992–1997)
*
Lothar Zagrosek (1997–2006)
*
Manfred Honeck (2007–2011)
*
Sylvain Cambreling
Sylvain Cambreling (born 2 July 1948 in Amiens, France) is a French conductor.
Biography
Trained as a trombone player, Cambreling studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He joined l' Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (OSL) as a trombonist in 1971. In 19 ...
(2012–2018)
*
Cornelius Meister (2018–present)
Selected discography
Stuttgart CD productions:
* Philip Glass: ''
Akhnaten'' (1987)
* Luigi Nono:
** ''
Intolleranza 1960'' (1995)
** ''
Al gran sole carico d'amore
''Al gran sole carico d'amore'' (''In the Bright Sunshine Heavy with Love'') is an opera (designated as an 'azione scenica') with music by Luigi Nono, based mainly on plays by Bertolt Brecht, but also incorporating texts of Fidel Castro, Che Gue ...
'' (2001)
* Helmut Lachenmann: ''Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern'' (2003)
Stuttgart productions on DVD:
* Philip Glass: ''
Satyagraha
Satyagraha ( sa, सत्याग्रह; ''satya'': "truth", ''āgraha'': "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), or "holding firmly to truth",' or "truth force", is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone wh ...
'' (1983)
* Handel: ''
Alcina
''Alcina'' (Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis, HWV 34) is a 1735 opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after during ...
'' (1999)
* Karl Amadeus Hartmann: ''
Simplicius Simplicissimus'' (2005)
* Mozart: ''
La finta giardiniera ''
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* Wagner: ''Der Ring des Nibelungen">006)
* Wagner: ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (2003)
* Bernd Alois Zimmermann: ''Die Soldaten">Der_Ring_des_Nibelungen.html" ;"title="006)
* Wagner: ''Der Ring des Nibelungen">006)
* Wagner: ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (2003)
* Bernd Alois Zimmermann: ''Die Soldaten'' (1989)
References
Notes
Sources
* Bauman, Thomas and Koegler, Horst: "Stuttgart", ''New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992)
External links
*
{{Authority control
German opera companies