Wiener Kammeroper

Wiener Kammeroper is an opera theater and opera company in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1948 by the conductor Hans Gabor, it was originally named "Vienna Opera Studio."[1] In 1953 the company was renamed the Wiener Kammeroper (Vienna Chamber Opera). It is located at 24 Fleischmarkt Street in the center of the city.

An image of Wiener Kammeroper

History

Initially, the company had no dedicated building. Performances were held at the Vienna Concert Hall (Wiener Konzerthaus) and at Schönbrunn Palace.[2] In 1961 a subsidy from the Ministry of Education and the City of Vienna allowed the company to establish a permanent venue in the former ballroom of the Hotel Post on Fleischmarkt Street, where the dance hall was converted to an operatic stage. The new theatre was inaugurated with a performance of three one-act operas: The Marriage by Martinů,[3] The Gambler (Il marito giocatore) by Orlandini[4] and Monteverdi's Ariadne's Lament[5] as adapted by Carl Orff.

Early programs at the Opera House included opera buffe, operettas, parodies and old Viennese Singspiele, as well as chamber arrangements of larger works such as Carmen and La Bohème. Today, the focus is on premières of original contemporary works and the development of young performers.[6][7]

Chamber operas by Tom Johnson, Peter Maxwell Davies, Luciano Chailly, Philip Glass and Hans Werner Henze have premiered at the Kammeroper. The company has also staged rock operas that translate classics such as La Bohème or Carmen for a younger generation.

Gabor retired from conducting in 1982 while continuing as the company's artistic director and manager. In 1983 the theater launched "Studio K," a series featuring contemporary works and composers.[8] In 1992 the theater began a series of open-air performances of Mozart operas at the Roman Ruin of Schönbrunn Palace. Conservationists determined in 1999 that the monument was in jeopardy and performances were discontinued.

In 1994 Hans Gabor died unexpectedly and Rudolf Berger continued programming.

During the 1999/2000 opera season Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck took over the management of the Kammeroper.

In regard to its mission, a decisive part of the artistic work of the management is finding rarities, chamber operas, or even opera pieces that have hardly ever or never been performed in Austria, but which reveal a quality that is truly compelling. Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck described their aims at the press conference announcing the season of 2006/07:

"Art in the sense of telling stories, musical theatre that is current, touching, makes us happy, upsets us, makes us want to discuss things, the advancement of young musicians, and last but not least an attentive audience. This, and much more, makes Wiener Kammeroper what it is – music theatre with a unique and unmistakable concept in the artistic environment of Austria and Vienna"

Wiener Kammeroper stands for programming which rests on four pillars – chamber musical, baroque opera, contemporary musical theatre and opera buffa.

In 2012, Theater an der Wien took over management of the company[9] and Sebastian F. Schwarz was named artistic director. Jochen Breiholz assumed the position in 2016. In February 2021 Schwartz and Renate Futterknecht were named co-business managers. In March 2021 playwright Karin Bohnert assumed the position of artistic director and Walter Reicher was named business manager.

Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition

Since 1982, the Kammeroper has administered and presented the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition. Founded as a competition to discover and promote young opera singers, judges are representatives of the music industry, major opera and festival managers, music promoters and the media. In 1992 the competition introduced worldwide qualifying rounds. Forty-three cities are scheduled to participate in the 2022 preliminary round. Since 2013, the final round has been held at different international opera houses. The 2022 finals will take place in Jurmala, Latvia.[10]

Past Performances

The Flood by Boris Blacher (1956)

Triumph of Honour by Alessandro Scarlatti (1956)

The Marriage by Bohuslav Martinů[3] (1961)

The Gambler (Il marito giocatore) by Orlandini[4] (1961)

Ariadne's Lament by Claudio Monteverdi, as adapted by Carl Orff[5] (1961)

Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1986). Produced by George Tabori, the production was invited to Berlin the following year for the festival "Berlin TheaterTreffen" and recorded on television.[11]

References
  1. https://austria-forum.org/, Austria-Forum |. "Wiener Kammeroper (english)". Austria-Forum (in German). Retrieved 2022-01-12. {{cite news}}: External link in |last= (help)
  2. Forschungen, Institut für kunst-und musikhistorische (2002). "Wiener Kammeroper". ISBN 978-3-7001-3043-7 (in German). Retrieved 2022-01-13.
  3. "Bohuslav Martinu Marriage - Opera". www.boosey.com. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  4. "print | British Museum". The British Museum. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  5. "Madrigals of Passion & Despair". Lacuna Arts. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  6. World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Volume 1: Europe. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2013.
  7. Wien Musikgeschichte: Von der Prähistorie bis zur Gegenwart. N.p., LIT Verlag Münster.
  8. https://austria-forum.org, Austria-Forum |. "Wiener Kammeroper (english)". Austria-Forum (in German). Retrieved 2022-01-12. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  9. "Theater an der Wien". Theater an der Wien (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  10. "Belvedere Singing Competition". Belvedere Singing Competition. Retrieved 8 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. "Pagliacci | opera by Leoncavallo". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-06-25.

Some material has been translated and edited from the corresponding German Wikipedia entry.

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