Kärntnertortheater#

Kaerntnertortheater, Vienna, designed by A. Beduzzi in 1709, built under an imperial privilege near the original Kaerntnertor (on the grounds of the Hotel Sacher) by order of the Viennese municipal administration. The Kaerntnertortheater was opened by an Italian theatrical troupe, and, from 1712 to 1727, run by J. Stranitzky and after his death by his wife; in 1728 the court artists Borosini und Selliers, who gave some fine performances of intermezzi in German and Italian, introducing song and dance, became the directors of the theatre. From 1742 to 1750 the theatre was leased to Selliers and in the following year (1751) it was run by Rocco de Lopresti. In 1752, however, when Maria Theresia had abolished the imperial privilege, the municipal administration was again put in charge of the theatre; in 1761 it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt by the court architect N. Pacassi; in 1763 it was reopened under the name of Imperial Court Theatre. Between 1810 and 1814 only ballets and operas in German and Italian were performed. After a considerable period during which the theatre was leased to a number of artists, including the Italian impresario Barbaja (triumph of the Italian opera) and the dancer L. Antoine (who engaged F. Elssler and M. Taglioni), it returned to the municipal court administration in 1849 and was demolished in 1870. Between 1861 and 1869 the Vienna Court Opera House (now the State Opera) was built on the adjoining grounds.

Literature#