!!!Volksoper

Volksoper, built in 1898 according to plans by F. Freiherr von Krauss 
and A. Graf at Waehringer Guertel in Vienna as 
"Kaiser-Jubilaeums-Stadttheater", opened its doors under A.  
Mueller-Guttenbrunn as director (1898-1903) with a performance of 
H. von Kleist's drama "Die Hermannsschlacht". Initially 
a stage devoted to the spoken word, the theatre included operas and 
musical comedies in its repertory under the directorship of R. Simons 
(1903-1917). The directors R. Mader (1917-1919) and F.  Weingartner 
(1919-1924) raised the standards of performance and gave the theatre a 
sophisticated repertory so that it became Vienna's second 
internationally renowned opera house. In 1928, however, the theatre 
went bankrupt. Between 1929 and 1931, under J. Feldhammer and 
O. L.  Preminger, it bore the name "Neues Wiener 
Schauspielhaus", performing non-musical dramas, and later 
predominantly light operettas. In 1938, the house was taken over by 
the City of Vienna as "Opernhaus der Stadt Wien". After 
1945, both the Volksoper and the Theater an der Wien were used for  
State Opera performances, and the Volksoper joined the newly founded 
Association of  Federal Theatres under Director H. Juch (1946-1955). 
From 1956-1963, the house was managed by F.  Salmhofer, A.  Moser 
(1963-1973), K.  Doench (1973-1987), E.  Waechter (1987-1992) I.  
Holender (1987-1996), K.  Bachler (1996-1999), and D.  Mentha (since 
1999), who sought to restore the theatre's independent repertory with 
emphasis on operetta and the musical. The theatre has also 
successfully staged ballets and operas outside the classical-romantic 
repertory. Since the Austrian Federal Theatres became a holding 
company in 1999, the V. has been operated as a limited liability 
company. Under D. Mentha modern dance theatre and 20%%sup th/%  
century opera have also become part of the programme.

!Literature
O. Fritz (ed.), 95 Jahre Wiener Volksoper, 1993; K. 
Bachler, Die Volksoper, 1998.


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