Theater Basel
Structure and cooperation
Since the Theater Basel has no own orchestra, usually the Basel Symphony Orchestra is used. For baroque opera productions, the baroque orchestra La Cetra is obliged founded by Paul Sacher Schola Cantorum. Since 2006/2007 season will also collaborated with the Basel Sinfonietta. At the opening of the opera season 2007/2008 for the first time, the Basel Chamber Orchestra has been committed ( for a new production of Mozart's The Abduction ).
The Theater Basel was chosen by 50 independent reviewers for the magazine world of opera to the Opera House of the Year 2009 and 2010.
Name
The name of the Theater Basel is used since 1988, historically it was called City Theatre Basel and in the years 1968 to 1988 was called the institution whose venues Municipal Theatre on Steinberg and the comedy in the Steinenvorstadt were then, the Basel Theatre.
Architectural History
The Basel City Theatre was founded in 1834. The first building was from the neoclassical architect Melchior Berri and included 1,300 spaces. A great size for the city of Basel, which at that time had 26 000 inhabitants.
1873-1875 vierrängiges a neo-baroque building by Johann Jakob Stehlin was built on the same site, which was destroyed on October 7, 1904 by a fire, but was rebuilt in the episode again and could be re-opened in 1909.
After the construction of the current building with characteristic irregular shape and curved roof, which opened in 1975, the old house was blown up. The construction cost 60 million francs the Canton of Basel-Stadt.
The theater Basel features in the big house on about 1000 seats, the Small Stage in the same building offers 320 seats. Founded in 1950 " comedy" in the Steinenvorstadt comprised up to its closure in the fall of 2001, 600 seats. It was replaced by the designed by the Basel architects Schwarz Gutmann Pfister theater, which was built in January 2002 in the neighborhood of the theater at the Steinentorstrasse and up to 480 spectators sums.
The theater located on tree-lined square is decorated with a metal sculpture Intersection of Richard Serra and the Carnival Fountain by Jean Tinguely ( " Tinguely Fountain ").