Opernhaus Düsseldorf () is a venue and administrative headquarters of the

Deutsche Oper am Rhein The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its music director since 2009. The resident orchestra, t ...

. The original opera house was constructed between 1873 and 1875 as the

Stadttheater Düsseldorf Stadttheater Düsseldorf , later Städtische Bühnen Düsseldorf,was a theatre in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Designed by Ernst Giese, it was constructed between 1873 and 1875. History On the site before the construction of t ...

, designed by Ernst Giese (1832–1903). By its inauguration day, 29 November 1875, it was only partially completed due to cost overruns, but it continued to the operated by the city authorities. By 1891 an electric lighting system had been installed. The auditorium contained a parquet level, 2 levels of seating plus a gallery, providing a total of 1,260 seats. By 1921 the city had transferred the ownership of the theatre to the opera company and, in 1925, it was renamed as the ''Operhaus'' to distinguish it from another theatre then presenting operettas. After bombs in January and November 1943 during the Second World War destroyed much of the auditorium, some performances did proceed for several months in 1944, but in an auditorium reduced to 1,000 seats. By September 1944 all theatres were closed, and regular performances did not begin again until October 1945 with

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, '' Carmen'', which has become ...

's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

''. In the post-war years major renovations began in 1954 to improve the temporary wartime repairs. Between 1954 and its reopening on 22 April 1956, the house was restored and inaugurated with a performance of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

''. The house now seated 1,342 people. Also during this time the link between Düsseldorf and Duisburg was re-created in the form of a joint company, the ''German Opera on the Rhine''. Later in 1956, on 29 September, the company's premiere production of

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

’ ''

Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...

'' was given in Düsseldorf and, on 30 September,

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, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...

's ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

'' was presented in Duisburg.

External links

Deutsche Oper am Rhein website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Opernhaus Dusseldorf Opera houses in Germany Theatres in Düsseldorf Music in Düsseldorf Music venues completed in 1875 Music venues completed in 1945 Theatres completed in 1875 Theatres completed in 1945 1875 establishments in Germany

See also

External links