Theater an der Wien
Theatre of 1801 built by Mozart's Magic Flute librettist, now Vienna's stagione opera house.
Emanuel Schikaneder, the librettist and first Papageno of Mozart's Magic Flute, had the Theater an der Wien built to replace his cramped suburban playhouse, and it opened on 13 June 1801. Franz Jäger designed a house that was among the largest and best equipped in the city, and the sculpted Papageno Gate on the Millöckergasse side still shows Schikaneder in the role. Beethoven lodged in the building while writing Fidelio, which had its first performance here in 1805, as did his Violin Concerto and the Eroica and Pastoral symphonies.
Over the nineteenth century the theatre gave first performances of works by Nestroy, Johann Strauss II and Franz Lehár, and it later became a musical house. Since 2006 it has run as an opera house working on the stagione principle, mounting a small number of productions at a time with international casts and period or modern orchestras. The building closed for renovation in 2022 and reopened in autumn 2024; it now also presents concerts, family opera and guided backstage tours.
Highlights
- Founded by Emanuel Schikaneder and opened in June 1801
- Site of the premiere of Beethoven's Fidelio in 1805
- Papageno Gate sculpture showing Schikaneder in costume
- Reopened in autumn 2024 after a two-year renovation
