Lehartheater

The Lehar theater is located in the center of the spa town of Bad Ischl in Upper Austria and was from Biedermeier to the inter-war period another popular summer theater.

History

Architectural History

Because a performance space in the attic of the painter Luke Krall ( Krall Theatre), which was used since about 1793 as a venue, no longer appeared to date, at the suggestion of Dr. Franz Wirer - who asked for a piece of land available - the Ischler Kurtheater ( since 1940 Lehár Theatre ) in the years 1826-27 built by the architect Franz Ferdinand Saline Edangler. In 1865 the expansion of the theater building, in 1882 the cultivation of a separate Aufganges to the Royal Box and 1904 the installation of an electric lighting. The theater had a relatively small stage and a spectator area, which consisted of the ground floor, a gallery with boxes and two other galleries with seating and standing room. The performances were able to attend about 400 spectators.

Repertoire and artists

From 1827 to 1947 there was in the summer months ( mid-June to late September) regular theater and operetta performances. As an orchestra functioned initially the Ischler Spa Orchestra, which was only available in case of bad weather, before 1857 a theater orchestra was engaged. The presence of members of the high nobility, later the emperor and his court exercised both the audience and the actors, primarily of Viennese theaters ( Theater an der Wien, Theater in der Josefstadt, Carl Theater, Deutsches National Theatre, Castle Theatre), special attraction from. Artistic greats like Max Devrient, Johann Nestroy, Alexander Girardi, Josefine Gallmeyer, Hansi Niese, Katharina Schratt, Adele Sandrock, Frank Wedekind, Isadora Duncan, Alexander Moissi, Richard Tauber, and later Hans Moser, Karl Valentin, Paula Wessely, Susi Nicoletti, inter alia, gave in Lehar Theater guest appearances. Worked several times on the podium were Johann Strauss and Franz Lehár. Operas, operettas and serene voice pieces were presented on a high artistic level. After the First World War, the artist also came from the Comedy Theatre and the Renaissance theater in Vienna, from Linz State Theatre and the Theatre České Budějovice. Screenings have been held since July 1921 in the house.

Directors

Catherine Hain ( 1827 -? ), Josef Glöggl (1836 ), Eduard Kreibig (1836 ), N. Seidler (1837 ), Heinrich Bornstein (1837 ), Catherine Hain ( 1842-46 ), Joseph Boulet (1847 ), Wenzel Bielschitzky ( 1848-50 ), Gottfried Denemy and Carl Clement ( 1851-52 ), Gottfried Denemy ( 1853-56 ), August Pütz (1857 ), Anton Zöllner ( 1858-59 ), Josef Maria Kotzky ( 1860-71 ), Heinrich Jenke ( 1872-79 ), Leopold Müller ( 1880-82 ), Friedrich Dorn ( 1883-84 ), Ignaz Wild ( 1885-1903 ), Karl Door (1904 ), Karl Door and Erich Müller ( 1905-08 ), Erich Müller (1909 -11), Ludwig starch ( 1912-1916 ), Josef Jarno (1918, 1921-30 ), Artur Hohenberg ( 1931-33 ), Ignaz Brantner ( 1934-35, 1941), Rudolf Ott ( 1942-44 ), Otto Fritz ( 1946-47 )

Today's appearance

The largely preserved in it's original appearance auditorium with 2 (originally 3) ranks are presently used as a cinema as well as a venue for lectures, recitals, concerts, theater, cabaret, etc. The exterior of the house was the demolition of the Hoflogeneinganges in the Kaiser Franz - Josef-Straße next to the Hotel Post and the cultivation of a sports shop partially modified.

Plans

A homeowners association of several Ischler citizens has been working several years for the preservation of Lehar theater and plans after total restoration, the house (cost estimate 5.5 million euros ) is to operate a multi-functional cultural center.

2007 began a fruitful collaboration with the Theater in der Josefstadt, with its director Herbert Föttinger on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Heinrich Kraus. After chamber evenings in 2007 ( with Sandra Cervik, Maria Köstlinger, Marianne Nentwich, Karlheinz Hackl, Otto Schenk and Herbert Föttinger ) and 2008 ( with Elfriede Ott, Andrea Jonasson, Karl Markovic, Fritz Muliar ) in 2009, " Halpern & Johnson " with Helmuth Lohner and Otto Schenk directed by Herbert Föttinger played six times before a packed house. This could be taught the importance of restoring the historic theater not only for Bad Ischl, but also far beyond, belongs.