Schlosstheater Schwetzingen
The early classical Schwetzingen Palace Theatre is part of the residence of the Elector Palatine in Schwetzingen Castle. Subsequent successors as owners, the Margrave of Baden and Grand Dukes, the state of Baden or the state of Baden- Württemberg.
Other names used are for the theater court theater, Court Opera, or Comoedienhaus. Rococo Theatre - the name currently often officially used - architectural history is a misnomer that has been repeatedly transferred from the style of other parts of the entire system on the theater.
The theater was built by Nicolas de Pigage 1752 in 10 weeks in 1762 and expanded again. It is the oldest surviving theaters in the world ranking. On June 15, 1753 the Schwetzingen Palace Theatre with Ignaz Holzbauer opera " Il figlio delle selve " was opened.
After the Prince Karl Theodor had moved his residence to Munich, found only occasional performances in Schwetzingen, when each elector was there to visit. Even in the Baden period, the theater was rarely used. In part, it fell into disrepair and could not be recorded. 1936/37, and in the 1950s, the theater was renovated. Only a few original equipment parts of the machinery remained in this renovation after the Second World War until today. Since 1952, the rooms are again often used for performances of concerts, operas and theater as the theater and the adjacent halls are main venues of the Schwetzingen Festival.
Architectural History
The theater was opened five years before his counterpart in Ludwigsburg and is the oldest surviving theater in Baden- Württemberg. With the accession of Carl Philip (also:. Karl III Philip ) was Schwetzingen 1719 due to the relocation of the court of Heidelberg to Mannheim for permanent summer residence and moved into the construction of Mannheim at the heart of the Palatinate countryside. Finally it came from in 1742 under the reign of Elector Carl Theodor ( 1743-1777 Elector vd Pfalz, Elector of the Palatinate- Bavaria from 1777 to 1799 ) to a golden time for this castle. The building of the palace theater nestled in the after plans by Bibienas and Rabaliatti 1748/50 performed Northern Circle Buildings of the castle in addition to various extensions with a northwest -oriented longitudinal axis at. From there, the main entrance is done in the lodges and the ground floor. It was built in 1752 under the supervision of Pigage. The northern circle is used today as a foyer, dressing room for the spectators, etc..
Towards the end of the 19th century, the theater was only used as a drying room for hops. 1937 took place a thorough renovation and redesign. The old stage technology was still largely preserved and the banks of the auditorium were lost. Another renovation took place in 1952. Overall refurbishment in 1974 led to the demolition and reconstruction of the stage house.
2003-2005 restoration of the auditorium building was carried out. It has still largely to the original structure with the classical version of the 1770s. Its size is about one- third of the theater building, is 190 m²; it includes 512 seats.
About 50 stage designs of theater architect Stefan Schenk, Lorenzo and Joseph Quaglio have been preserved.
- See also the main article Schwetzingen Castle
Mozart and Schwetzingen
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has visited three times Schwetzingen. His first stay ( probably 14 to 29 (?) In July 1763 ) occurred in the musical heyday of the Electoral Palatinate Court ( Mannheim school ). Over the summer, the courtyard was staying at the summer residence and the court orchestra there had their residence obligation. As part of the great prodigy travel the 7- year-old Mozart came with his 12 - year-old sister Nannerl and his father Leopold also to Schwetzingen. They lived at the inn " Zum Roten Haus" in the Speyer Straße ( today Dreikönigstraße 6). In honor of the Mozart family a musical academy in the castle took place on July 18, 1763. The announcement was:
Leopold Mozart reported it to his friend Hagenauer (letter of July 19, 1763 from Schwetzingen ):
The hall in the Southern Circle, the dance hall, was renamed in 2006 in memory of it in Mozart Hall. In Schwetzingen Mozart came as described with members of the Mannheim court orchestra in touch. Both Leopold and Nannerl as listed in their travel names of distinguished musicians.
On his second visit Mozart and his mother Anna Maria came on 29 October 1777, on the voyage from Hohenaltheim to Mannheim by Schwetzingen. The Mannheim stay of Wolfgang and his mother lasted until March 14, 1778. The third stay was a short visit to the park on October 24, 1790 before a performance in Mannheim.
Current usage
In addition to baroque and classical opera and contemporary operas are played in the theater during the Schwetzingen Festival by the SWR. Since 1952, more than 35 operatic compositions have been commissioned and premiered there. Among the composers are Hans Werner Henze, Werner Egk, Udo Zimmermann, Aribert Reimann, Salvatore Sciarrino and Adriana Hölszky. In addition to the opera program concerts are the second pillar of today's theater scene. Spectacles take place as an occasional guest performances.
An annual Mozart Festival offers a variety of events.
Since the completion of the roof renovation of the North Circle 2005, the theater visits are supplemented by a model of the baroque stage machinery in the second rank. This functional model shows the stage area ( lower stage ) with its historical, now destroyed, stage machinery.