Vienna Opera gains an extra stage
NewsThe State Opera has been authorised to convert the French Hall of the Künstlerhaus Vienna into a performance space with 279 seats.
The aim is to give opportunities to young singers in front of a young audience, with cheap ticket prices.
The drawback? It won’t happen before 2025 at the earliest.
Wiener Staatsoper HAS been giving young singers from the ensemble a chance to perform for small audiences with cheap ticket prices since Dominique Meyer took over in 2010.
While I vastly disagreed with many of Meyer’s decisions, I think his biggest contribution to the company was to give ensemble members chances on the main stage and to inaugurate a Sunday morning recital series in the Gustav-Mahler-Saal on the (house) right side of the 1. Rang. This hall is also used for chamber music programmes by members of the Philharmoniker. I can’t recall the exact ticket price but I think it’s no more than €20.
If anything, I think they want this new space more for the presentation of children’s operas, now that the temporary roof stage has been dismantled.
For now, the recital and chamber music series continue in the Mahler-Saal. I look forward very much to hearing young Canadian tenor Josh Lovell, who gave an amazing performance in the lead role of Henze’s „Das verratene Meer“ on Tuesday evening.