The Staatstheater Darmstadt (Darmstadt State Theatre) is a theatre company and building in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany, presenting opera, ballet, plays and concerts. It is funded by the state of Hesse and the city of Darmstadt. Its history began in 1711 with a court theatre building. From 1919 it was run as Landestheater Darmstadt. The present theatre was opened in 1972 when the company was named Staatstheater.
History
The theatre dates back more than 300 years. It was originally a court theatre at the residence of the county Darmstadt. At a request by Elisabeth Dorothea von Hessen-Darmstadt [de] a first theatre building in Darmstadt was opened in 1711 with Christoph Graupner's opera Telemach.
Großherzogliches Hoftheater Karolinenplatz
About a century later, Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse, built a court theatre open to the citizens. The architect Georg Moller built a theatre with 2000 seats and advanced stage machinery, opened in 1819. It burnt down in 1871 and was restored in seven years.[1]
Landestheater Karolinenplatz
In 1919 the theatre became a Landestheater. The former building was made the small stage (Kleines Haus). Director Gustav Hartung [de] (1920–1924 and 1931–1933) made the theatre famous for premieres of contemporary authors. He was forced to flee by the Nazis. Actress Lilli Palmer, then 20 years old, emigrated to Paris. Both halls of the theatre were destroyed by bombs in the night 11 to 12 September 1944. After the war a provisional stage was found in the Orangerie, where the company played for almost three decades. It was known for plays during the times of directors Rudolf Sellner (1951–1961) and Gerhard F. Hering [de] (1961–1971).[1] The play Männersache by Franz Xaver Kroetz premiered in 1972.[2] In 1966 Maciej Łukaszczyk arrived and worked as a Répétiteur at the Landestheater Darmstadt. In 1970 he founded the Chopin Organisation.
Staatstheater Georg-Büchner-Platz
In 1972, the theater was named Staatstheater.[3] In his influential tenure as Intendant from 1976 to 1984, Kurt Horres directed highly regarded contemporary operas.[3]Reinhard Febel's opera Morels Erfindung premiered on 6 November 1994.[4]Jan Müller-Wieland's chamber opera in one act Die Nachtigall und die Rose was first performed in 1996,[5]Die Versicherung after a play by Peter Weiss in 1999.[6] In 2010, Orff's early opera Gisei premiered.[7][8][9][10]
Building
Great hallFoyer
The present building was opened in 1972.[1] The theatre is funded by the state of Hesse and the city of Darmstadt.[11] The building was designed by the Darmstadt architect Rolf Prange[12][13] who had won a national competition in 1963.[14] The great hall (Großes Haus) seats 956 people, the small hall (Kleines Haus), mostly for plays and dance, 482.[15] A chamber theatre (Kammerspiele) seats 120. The Großes Haus was opened on 6 October 1972 with Beethoven's Fidelio,[16] the Kleines Haus a day later with Gaston Salvatore's Büchners Tod.[1][17]
John Dew has been director of the theatre from 2004 till 2014.[20] Since 2014 the Intendant is Karsten Wiegand.[21] Music director since 2018 is Daniel Cohen, opera director is Kirsten Uttendorf [de].[22]
^Orff, Carl; Florenz, Karl; Dew, John; Defilla, Peider A.; Hashimoto, Aki; Prytolyuk, Oleksandr; Serfling, Susanne; Daum, Andreas; Weiss, André; Trinks, Constantin; Staatsorchester Darmstadt; Staatstheater Darmstadt Opernchor (2012), Gisei. Das Opfer Musikdrama nach dem japanischen Trauerspiel "Terakoya" in der deutschen Übersetzung von Karl Florenz. Inszenierung: John Dew. Ein Film von Peider A. Defilla (in German), Mainz: Schott Music & Media, OCLC865099836
Staatstheater Darmstadt; Aumüller, Barbara (2011). Staatstheater Darmstadt 300 Jahre Theatertradition ; 1711 – 2011 (in German). Darmstadt: Surface Book. ISBN978-3-939855-21-7. OCLC723430429.
Kaiser, Hermann; Staatstheater Darmstadt (1972). 300 Jahre Darmstädter Theater in Berichten von Augenzeugen von der Landgräfin Elisabeth Dorothea bis Georg Hensel (in German). Darmstadt: Roether. OCLC1270329902.
