Bregenz: Seebühne / Festspielhaus

Country: Austria (Österreich)
State: Vorarlberg
City: Bregenz
Location: Platz der Wiener Symphoniker 1 / at the shores of the Bodensee (Lake Constance)

Theatre and congress complex, comprising:

  • Seebühne:
    [First festival performances on a lake stage in 1946, using two boats in the Gondelhafen harbour. Opened 5 Aug 1946 with Mozart's "Bastien und Bastienne" and a ballet to Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and other works.]
    1947 installation of a flexible lake stage off the "Strandbad" beach and a flexible auditorium with 2500 seats. 1950 installation of a permanent lake stage on an artificial island, with a flexible auditorium of 6500 seats. Opened 22 July 1950 with Millöcker's "Gasparone". 1953 installation of a permanent auditorium with 6400 seats.
    1979 major rebuilding: installation of a lake stage with concrete foundations including an orchestra pit in the basement. Auditorium rebuilding (originally 4400 seats, later gradually expanded by flexible seating to 6800 seats). Re-opened 20 July 1979 with Puccini's "Turandot". 1984 installation of a new sound system, using focused directional amplification. 1998 expansion of the permanent auditorium (6767 permanent seats). Used for opera performances by the annual "Bregenzer Festspiele" summer festival.

  • Festspielhaus: Built 1980 by Willy Braun jr. Opened 18 July 1980 with a symphonic concert. First opera performance on 24 July 1980 with Verdi's "Falstaff". 1992-1997 extensions by Helmut Dietrich and Much Untertrifaller. Up to 1765 seats. Used for opera performances and concerts by the annual "Bregenzer Festspiele" summer festival. Also used for ballet performances by the annual dance festival "Bregenzer Frühling" in spring, and for concerts and conventions throughout the year. 2005-2006 exterior and interior renovations and rebuilding by Dietrich/Untertrifaller Architekten. Re-opened 7 July 2006.

  • Werkstattbühne: Rehearsal stage and flexible performance space, built 1992-1997 by Helmut Dietrich and Much Untertrifaller. Opened 1998 with G. F. Haas's opera "Nacht". Capacity: up to 2000 persons. Used for opera, ballet and drama performances and concerts during the annual "Bregenzer Festspiele" summer festival. Also used for concerts and various events throughout the year.

Notable world premieres:

  • Robert Stolz: Trauminsel (at Seebühne, 21 July 1962)
  • Helmut Eder: Die Irrfahrten des Odysseus (at Seebühne, 11 Aug 1965)
  • Robert Stolz: Hochzeit am Bodensee (at Seebühne, 23 July 1969)
  • Georg Friedrich Haas: Nacht (staged premiere, at Werkstattbühne, 7 Aug 1998)
  • Bohuslav Martinu: Recké pasije ("The Greek Passion", 1st version, at Festspielhaus, 20 Aug 1999)
  • Georg Friedrich Haas: die schöne wunde (at Werkstattbühne, 14 Aug 2003)

Links: bregenzerfestspiele.com, www.kongresskultur.com, www.bregenzermeisterkonzerte.at, www.bregenzerfruehling.at

see also: Postcards of Bregenz Seebühne Stage Sets

Bregenz: Seebuehne Front Text: "Bregenz. Strandbad - Stadion - Festspielgelände"
Publisher: Fliegeraufn. Branz, Lustenau; 7438
Type: Real Photo
Size: Classic
Not sent.
Detail:
Bregenz: Seebuehne

Bregenz: Seebuehne Reverse Text: "Bregenzer Festspiele 1952"
Publisher: Fliegeraufn. Branz, Lustenau
Type: Real Photo
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne Picture: stage set for the 1953 festival
Front Text: "Bregenz, Festspielgelände"
Publisher: Photo Branz, [Lustenau]; 204
Type: Real Photo
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne Picture: stage set for the 1956 festival
Publisher: Presse-Photo O. Spang, Lindau-Bregenz
Type: Real Photo
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne Picture: panoramic view with the stage set for the 1960 festival (?)
Publisher: Foto Risch-Lau, Bregenz; FO 51389
Size: Modern
Not sent.
Detail:
Bregenz: Seebuehne

Bregenz: Seebuehne Front Text: "Bregenzer Festspiele 1961 - Spiel auf dem See - Der Zigeunerbaron"
Publisher: Foto Risch-Lau, Bregenz; 11
Type: Real Photo
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne / Festspielhaus Picture: Festspielhaus and Seebühne
Front Text: "Festspiel- und Kongresshaus Bregenz"
Stamp: "Festspiel- und Kongresshaus Bregenz"
Postmark: "Bregenzer Festspiele 1980 - 6900 Bregenz 17.7.1980"
Not sent.
Detail:
Bregenz: Seebuehne / Festspielhaus
Stamp (Austria, 1979)

Bregenz: Seebuehne / Festspielhaus Reverse Text: "Bregenz am Bodensee - Kongreßhaus, Festspiel-Bühne und Tribüne, Schwimmbad, Stadion, Segelhafen"
Publisher: Foto Branz, Lustenau
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Festspielhaus Reverse Text: "Bregenz am Bodensee, gegen Schweizer Berge, im Vordergrund Festspielhaus und Sportanlagen"
Publisher: Risch-Lau, Schwarzach; BR 49177
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Festspielhaus Front Text: "Bregenz Kongress- u. Festspielhaus"
Reverse Text: "Festspiel- und Kongreßhaus, eröffnet 17.7.1980, Bregenz am Bodensee, Vorarlberg - Austria"
Publisher: Verlag Foto-Branz, Lustenau; Nr. 2285
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne / Festspielhaus Picture: left: Festspielhaus/Seebühne complex, centre: casino
Front Text: "Festspiel- und Kongreßstadt Bregenz"
Reverse Text: "Hotel Mercure u. Spielcasino, Festspielhaus und Seebühne, Bregenz am Bodensee, Vorarlberg - Austria"
Publisher: Verlag Foto-Branz, Lustenau; Nr. 2416
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne Picture: Seebühne in 1999 or 2000 during a performance of Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera"
Front Text: "West Side Story" [...]
Reverse Text: "Bregenzer Festspiele - 16. Juli bis 19. August 2003 - West Side Story"
Publisher: Bregenzer Festspiele; City Cards
Type: Advertisement Card
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Festspielhaus Picture: above: Festspielhaus after the 2006 rebuilding
Reverse Text: "Bregenz: Festspielhaus, Seeanlagen, Kunsthaus, Fußgängerzone Kaiserstraße"
Publisher: Dieth Kulturverlag, Lauterach
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Festspielhaus Picture: Festspielhaus after the 2006 rebuilding
Reverse Text: "Bregenzer Festspiele", "Festspielhaus Bregenz"
Publisher: Bregenzer Festspiele, Bregenz
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Bregenz: Seebuehne Picture: below, right: lake stage seating stand seen from the landward side
Front Text: "Bregenz, Festspielstadt am Bodensee"
Reverse Text: "Bregenz, Festspielstadt am Bodensee. Blick vom Pfänder auf das Rheintal und die Schweizer Berge, Sonnenkönigin, Festspilhaus. Voralberg, Österreich"
Publisher: Ländle Verlag, Altach; 518
Size: Modern
Not sent.
Detail:
Bregenz: Seebuehne

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