Carthalia - Dresden: Semperoper

Dresden: Semperoper

Country: Germany (Deutschland)
State: Sachsen
City: Dresden
Location: Altstadt, Theaterplatz

[First theatre on another site at the Theaterplatz square: "Kleines Hoftheater" (built 1755 by Moretti, demolished 1841). First theatre on the site: "Hoftheater" (built 1838-1841 by Gottfried Semper, destroyed by a fire in 1869).]

Built 1871-1878 as "Altstädter Hoftheater - Königliches Opernhaus" by Gottfried Semper and Manfred Semper. Opened 2 February 1878 with Goethe's "Iphigenie auf Tauris". 1912-1914 alterations of interior decoration. 1919 renamed "Sächsische Staatsoper". 1938 renovation of the auditorium. Destroyed by bombs in the night of 13/14 February 1945. 1945-1955 safety works, afterwards left as a ruin until 1977. 1977-1985 rebuilding to Semper's plans with slight alterations; addition of modern extension buildings. Re-opened 13 February 1985 with Weber's "Der Freischütz". August 2002 foyers and basement damaged by flood. Original capacity: ca. 1800 persons, today: 1323 seats (+ 39 standing). Used for opera and ballet performances of the resident "Sächsische Staatsoper" company.

Notable world premieres:

Wilhelm Kienzl: Urvasi (20 Feb 1886)
Felix Draeseke: Herrat (10 Mar 1892)
Eugen d'Albert: Ghismonda (28 Nov 1895)
August Bungert: Die Odyssee (tetralogy, 1898-1903)
Ignacy Jan Paderewski: Manru (29 May 1901)
Richard Strauss: Feuersnot (21 Nov 1901)
Leo Blech: Das war ich (6 Oct 1902)
Richard Strauss: Salome (9 Dec 1905)
Max von Schillings: Moloch (8 Dec 1906)
Richard Strauss: Elektra (25 Jan 1909)
Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (26 Jan 1911)
Ernst von Dohnányi: Tante Simona (22 Jan 1913)
Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari: Der Liebhaber als Arzt (4 Dec 1913)
Eugen d'Albert: Die toten Augen (5 Mar 1916)
Hans Pfitzner: Das Christelflein (11 Dec 1917)
Feruccio Busoni: Doktor Faust (21 May 1925)
Kurt Weill: Der Protagonist (27 Mar 1926)
Paul Hindemith: Cardillac (9 Nov 1926)
Othmar Schoeck: Penthesilea (8 Jan 1927)
Richard Strauss: Die ägyptische Helena (6 June 1928)
Othmar Schoeck: Vom Fischer und syner Fru (3 Oct 1930)
Richard Strauss: Arabella (1 July 1933)
Rudolf Wagner-Régeny: Der Günstling (20 Feb 1935)
Richard Strauss: Die schweigsame Frau (24 June 1935)
Othmar Schoeck: Massimilla Doni (2 Mar 1937)
Richard Strauss: Daphne (5 Oct 1938)
Werner Egk: Peer Gynt (1939)
Heinrich Sutermeister: Romeo und Julia (13 Apr 1940)
Heinrich Sutermeister: Die Zauberinsel (31 Oct 1942)
Gottfried von Einem: Prinzessin Turandot (5 Feb 1944)
Josef Haas: Die Hochzeit des Jobs (2 July 1944)
Siegfried Matthus: Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke (1985)

Links: www.semperoper.de, Wikipedia

1878-1984 1985-

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden-A., Kgl. Hofoper"
Publisher: Kunstanstalt Zimmer & Munte, Magdeburg
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Gruss aus Dresden", "Königl. Hoftheater"
Publisher: Centrale für Illustrirte Postkarten, Dresden-A.
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Leipzig, 1899

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden, Foyer im Königl. Hoftheater"
Handwritten Front Text: dated 18 Sep 1898
Publisher: Edgar Schmidt, Dresden-A; Künstlerpostkarte
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Groß-Reifling (Austria) [postmark illegible]

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden, Hoftheater", signed: Paul Hey
Publisher: Ottmar Zieher, München; Künstlerpostkarte No. 2680
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Frankfurt am Main, 1902

Dresden: Semperoper Picture: people cheering to the King of Saxony in a carriage in front of the Hoftheater
Front Text: "Gruss aus Dresden.", "Der König kommt!" [The king arrives!]
Publisher: W. Hagelberg, Berlin; 36904 Dess. 7
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Rittergut Schmölen near Wurzen, 1903

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Gruss aus Dresden, Hoftheater"
Reverse Text: "Hoftheater bei Nacht"
Publisher: W. Hagelberg Akt.Ges., Berlin; 36904 Dess 32
Type: Double-Sided Picture Card; Moonlight Card
Size: Classic
Sent: to Dresden [stamp destroyed, postmark illegible]

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden. Hoftheater Opernhaus"
Publisher: Erika; Nr. 3379
Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Rückenhain bei Glashütte, 1909

Dresden: Semperoper Picture: aerial view, foreground, left: opera house
Reverse Text: "Zeppelin-Ansicht vom Zwinger und Umgebung, Alt- und Neustadt. Dresden"
Publisher: A. Desbarais, Dresden; D E A; Nr. 21
Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden - Theaterplatz; Kgl. Hofoper - Fernheizwerk [district heating plant] - Hotel Bellevue"
Publisher: Hugo Kugler, Dresden; 02-611
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden - Königl. Hof-Oper"
Publisher: Verlag Max Köhler, Dresden-N.; 326
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden, Königl. Hoftheater mit König Johann-Denkmal"
Publisher: Hermann Poy, Dresden; 64076
Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden, Kgl. Opernhaus"
Publisher: Stengel & Co. G.m.b.H., Dresden; 19971
Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Halberstadt, 1910

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden, Grossstadtleben, Königl. Opernhaus"
Publisher: Repr. Photochemie, Berlin N.; Serie Grossstadtleben
Type: Photomontage; Divided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Grasse (France), 1909

Dresden: Semperoper Type: Real Photo
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: Dresden. DIe Umgestaltung der alten Augustusbrücke, des Theaterplatzes mit Helbigs Etablissement, nach dem Modell des Tiefbau-Amtes zu Dresden."
Publisher: Kusntverlag Max Köhler, Dresden; 1426 Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: inscription on socket: "Opernhaus Dresden"
Reverse Text: "Oper in Dresden - Umstehender Schmiedehelfer Bernhard Lange, Dresden, Concordienstr. 58, nutzte die Zeit als arbeitsloser Familienvater und schaffte in 600 Stunden, ohne jede fremde Hilfe dieses Kunstwerk, hergestellt aus 65 Zigarrenkisten. In gleicher Weise modellierte er den Zwinger und die Katholische Hofkirche. - Die erwähnten Kunstwerke wurden mit Allklebstoff 'Blufajo' geleimt." [Unemployed blacksmith assistant and father of a family, Bernhard Lange (see picture) used his time to produce this piece of art from 65 cigar boxes within 600 hours, without any help from others. In the same way, he modelled the Zwinger palace and the Catholic Court Church. The pieces of art mentioned were glued together with the multi-purpose glue 'Blufajo'.]; see also: Twitter thread for more information on Bernhard Lange
Type: Advertisement Card; Divided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Dresden to Senftenberg, 1932

Dresden: Semperoper Picture: model of the Semperoper auditorium clock (showing the time in 5 minute intervals), made in 1896
Reverse Text: "Modell der Fünf-Minuten-Uhr der sächsischen Staatsoper Dresden, Ludwig Teubner, Dresden, 1896. Dresden, Staatlicher Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon"
Publisher: Deutscher Kunstverlag, München/Berlin; F 2176
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Reverse Text: "Dresden - Opernhaus 1871-1878 Entwurf G. Semper, Blick von der Bühne in den Zuschauerraum, Operny Teatr..., Opera house ... - View of the auditorium from the stage, L'opéra ..." - "Vor der Zerstörung durch anglo-amerikanische Bomber am 13. Febuar 1945" [before the destruction by Anglo-American bombers on 13 Feb 1945]
Publisher: VEB-Foto-Verlag, Erlbach i. V.
Type: reproduction of an old photograph
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: "Dresden, Opernhaus"
Reverse Text: "Fliegeraufnahme der D. L. R. aus 200 m Höhe"
Publisher: Verlag Albert Rehfeld, Dresden; No. 11; DLR 303
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Reverse Text: "Dresden, Hotel Bellevue mit Opernhaus. The Bellevue and the State Opera. Luftbildaufnahme. Bird-eye-view"
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Reverse Text: "Dresden - Blick von der Hofkirche - Opernhaus - Vor und nach der Zerstörung durch anglo-amerikanische Bomber am 13. Februar 1945"
Publisher: F. Hunger Nachf., Dresden; 639 D; IV 14 45; A 269/54; L 4196 LI
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Reverse Text: "Ruine des Opernhauses, Bühnenhaus gegen den Zuschauerraum um 1946. Ruin of the Opera-house. View at the auditorium from the stage-house in 1946. Ruine de Opéra, mason szenique du côté de la salle de spectacle" [sic!]
Publisher: Kunst und Bild, Berlin; C4221
Type: reproduction (ca. 2000) of an old photograph
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Reverse Text: "Staatsoper Dresden, Semperbau, Elbseite und rückwärtige Bühnenhausumfassung" [State Opera, Semper building, river side and rear stagehouse walls] - "nach Original-Bleistiftzeichnungen von Curt Winkler, Dresden" [after a pencil drawing by Curt Winkler]
Publisher: VEB Volkskunstverlag Reichenbach i. V.
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: signed "Curt Winkler, Dresden 1951"
Reverse Text: "Staatsoper Dresden, Semperbau, Schauseite am Theaterplatz" [State Opera, Semper building, theatre square façade] - "nach Original-Bleistiftzeichnungen von Curt Winkler, Dresden" [after a pencil drawing by Curt Winkler]
Publisher: VEB Volkskunstverlag Reichenbach i. V.; III/26/13 A 246/54; So 9
Size: Modern
Sent: to Radebeul [GDR stamp, but no postmark]

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: signed "Curt Winkler, 1954"
Reverse Text: "Staatsoper Dresden, Semperbau, Berüstung der Schauseite" [State Opera, Semper building, scaffolding at the façade] - "nach Original-Bleistiftzeichnungen von Curt Winkler, Dresden" [after a pencil drawing by Curt Winkler]
Publisher: VEB Volkskunstverlag Reichenbach i. V.; 54/1684 493
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Front Text: signed "Curt Winkler 1954"
Reverse Text: "Staatsoper Dresden, Semperbau, Figurenreihe auf der Balustrade, Zwinger-Seite" [State Opera, Semper building, statues on the balustrade, front towards Zwinger] - "nach Original-Bleistiftzeichnungen von Curt Winkler, Dresden" [after a pencil drawing by Curt Winkler]
Publisher: VEB Volkskunstverlag Reichenbach i. V.; 54/1684 493
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Dresden: Semperoper Stamp Block (GDR, 1985)
Text: "Semperoper Dresden 1985", "Dresden mahnt! 13. Februar 1945"
Size: 5.6 x 8.0 cm

1878-1984 1985-

For another picture of this theatre, see Dresden: Kleines Hoftheater.
Permanent link: https://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/id/1788
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