Markgrafentheater Erlangen

The Marquis Theater in the Middle Franconian city of Erlangen is one of three venues of the theater Erlangen. The Grade II listed building is now the oldest baroque theater in southern Germany.

Location

The outwardly unassuming theater is located to the ball room and the so-called Long House, the former royal stables, north in a building complex of the Erlangen Castle Gardens. The building is opened with a passage that connects the south adjacent water tower road with the northern theater space.

Description

Compared to the 11 -meter wide and 12 meter deep stage as well as the lowered orchestra pit for 40 musicians run the three supported by colonnades ranks of the horseshoe- shaped auditorium. The royal box extends over three axes and two zones of the ranks. It is surmounted by a stepped canopy, which is supported by gilded Hermen ( comedy and tragedy ) and its Chinoiserie shows purest rococo. From the edge of the canopy carved wooden borders hang down that are hung with gold tassels. The bottom vorschwingenden proscenium boxes are clamped between ionic Kolossalpilastern with entablature.

In the typical for the time of origin ornaments with seed beads has been omitted to instead use the popular in the late 1720s Régencezeit latticework with scrolls and foliage. Since only the parapets in the first rank have wooden baluster and otherwise little plastic details found use this, the action of the space, especially on the decorative painting. [ SL 1]

In Markgrafentheater remained largely under those features that is indicative of princely absolutism. While comparable buildings such as the Margrave Opera House in Bayreuth or the Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich also or mainly served the representation of the court, the Erlanger theater a home for all and the prince was primarily a matter of only the " primus inter pares".

History

The theater was built from 1715 to 1719 of Brandenburg- Bayreuth as an opera and comedy House on behalf of Margrave Georg Wilhelm. Together with the 1718/19 established Redoute Hall and the 1721/22 cultivated Long House was the Markgrafentheater the last court building Erlangen. On January 10, 1719, inauguration took place with the opera Argenis and Poliarchus. Two 1721 Pictures engendered by Johann Baptist Homann give an impression of the original design of the theater: front of the stage, which was separated by a basket- arched portal from the audience, a wide orchestra pit was located. The lowered floor was equipped with simple wooden benches. The achievable several outdoor stairs lodges were probably subject to more genteel people.

After already wanted to convert 1736 into a warehouse of the theater, it was re- designed in the years 1743/44 at the request of Margravine Wilhelmine of Brandenburg -Bayreuth by the Italian theater architect Giovanni Paolo Gaspari, using part of the existing structure. Probably in the 18th century was a repainting of the interior with the colors green, purple, white and gold. [ SL 1]

With the 1910 takeover of the Principality of Bayreuth by the Kingdom of Bavaria, the theater came into its possession. 1817 gave the later King Ludwig I of Bavaria the theater with the adjacent Hall of Redoute Erlangen University; the theater was Royal University playhouse. 1838 was the sale of the theater to the city of Erlangen. After renovation it was reopened on December 4, 1838 as the Erlanger theater. 1891/92 were for the renovation of the interior to numerous smaller changes and to redesign the ceiling, which was painted by Gottfried Pfannenmüller with large figures of the four muses. 1903, 1876-1933 by " charitable theater and concert association Erlangen " led house was electrified. In 1907, the building has a theater space provided hidden Art Nouveau façade. Since 1945, the official name of the building Markgrafentheater.

1957 the debate over whether the now in danger of collapsing theater to be demolished or preserved. The City Council agreed with the so-called "big solution " for the receipt, so that it came in the following years to an extensive general renovation and conversion from a box in a rank - theater. While the substance of the shell space of the auditorium was left in their substance, one worked the original wooden supports from the smallest existing degree. To give the original situation again, was the color of the findings. With a redesign of the wooden ceiling of the auditorium they tried to reconstruct the baroque fields division. The vast rest of the building was replaced by a reinforced concrete construction. Boxes, gears, a cloakroom and lobby were renovated in the style of the 1950s. [ SL 1] In December 1959, the Marquis theater was reopened with The Marriage of Figaro.

From 1973, it came to building their own local theater ensembles. The house has since been operated in the so-called "three- pillar model " with its own productions, guest performances and concerts.

1998-2000 was the last major renovation, inter alia, the seating from 616 to 570 places reduced and the roof was secured.

The theater Erlangen is headed by the director Katja Ott since 2009.