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THE HISTORY OF THE THEATRE BUILDING
The history of the theatre building of the today´s F. X. Šalda Theatre began to be written shortly after 24th April 1879, when the Drapers´ Theatre burned up from mysterious causes. Vienna architects Ferdinand Fellner (1847 - 1916) and Hermann Helmer (1849 - 1919), whose studio belonged to the most importarnt in Europe for great many years, were asked for drawing up the project. In their studio, they employed a whole team of experts, and in collaboration with them they provided a number of large European cities with representative buildings in the last third of the 19th century. Among others, they built the City Theatre in Vienna (1872), the Folk Theatre of Pest (1875), the City Theatre in Augsburg (1877), the Municipal Theatre Na hradbách in Brno (Today Mahen Theatre - 1882), the City Theatre in Rjeka (1885), in Bratislava (the Slovak National Theatre today - 1886), in Karlovy Vary (1886), in Odessa (1887), the Neues Deutsches Theater in Prague (now the Smetana Theatre - 1887), the Volkstheater in Vienna (1889), the City Theatre in Zurich (1891), and others. That renowned firm was characterized by the optimal combination of architectural inventiveness, and at that time advanced technology with business sense. Their building structures were characterized by the perfect accomplishment corresponding with the taste of that period, and with aesthetic notions of the most demanding customers. The counsellors and benefactors of the town Liberec probably belonged to them, and that is why, thanks to them, the town got the theatre building, which is listed among the best in the designs of Masters Fellner and Helmer. The foundations of the new theatre were laid on the council ground near the square (now Dr. Edvard Beneš square) in September 1881. The construction was carried out by master builders Sachers and Gärtner from Liberec. And it didn´t take long: already on 29th September 1883, the town theatre was festively opened by Schiller´ William Tell with the overture by Gioacchino Rossini. The theatre building, built in the neo-Renaissance style, is conveniently located in the town centre, and it fits by its proportions to the surrounding buildings. The front part is emphasized with a rich stucco decoration, which is lined by a set of statues with the allegorical meaning. In the axis of the entrance there are 2 main sculptures: a seated figure of Art holding a torch in her hand on the right side, a seated god Apollo is surrounded by figures of geniuses on dolphins on the left. Further to the right there are standing statues of muses and goddesses: Erato – a muse of love songs, Terpsichore - a muse of dance, and Fortuna – a goddess of happy affairs. On the left at the top of the facade there is a statue of Melpomene – a muse of mournful plays, then Thalia with a masque – a muse of comedy, and the goddess Flora with flowers. All of these sandstone sculptures were carved by the Viennese mason Reinhold Völke according to designs by the sculptor Bendel, also from Vienna. The internal architecture of the theater acts - despite of some efforts to reach the monumental look – thanks to its rich segmentation, and vertical developing of space, intimately in its dimensions. It could be said that it has pleasant human dimensions. The sculptural and painted decoration is an inseparable integral part of the atmosphere of the interior. The entrance foyer is carried by two massive marble pillars, behind which two broad staircases run into sides, and into the balustrade as well as marble railings of which at the rest areas is planted a bronze sculptural group carrying a five-light candleholder. The auditorium has a rich stucco decoration: the ceiling paintings are the work of the Viennese painter H. Löffler and their theme is the running cycle of human age and music. The main curtain comes from the Austrian master Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918), a future leading represenatitive of so called Vienna Jugendstill (Art Nouveau), as well as European painting at the turn of the century. He made it with his classmate Franz Matsch (1861 - 1942) and younger brother, Ernest (1864 - 1892) still while studying at the Vienna Industrial School. The curtain of the Liberec Town Theatre was one of their first orders, and therefore it is based on then still inveterated forms of neorenaissance and historicist style. The theme is an allegorical painting named The Triumph of Love. Unfortunately, today the drawing is less readable. For long years, the curtain was left up to the desolating effect of weather, in the highly variable rig loft space, which together with high dust levels common at every theatre stage, accomplished its decay. During the extensive reconstruction of the stage and auditorium in 1968 – 1969, the Klimt curtain was restored with the considerable expense. It was restored once again in 1993 – 1994, but no professional intervention could bring this rare work into its original condition. A far better preserved example of the craftsmanship of the Künstlercompagnie Klimt brothers and F. Matsch is a several years newer curtain in the theatre in Karlovy Vary, which, thanks to its complex allegory entitled The Apotheosis of the Poetic Art, is a proof of aesthetic, mental and compositional sophistication, as well as the technical skill of its creators. Finally, it may be said without any exaggeration that the building of the theatre is one of the best that was built in this architectural branch in our country. Today, after the recent renovation of the outer shell of the building and its surroundings, this gem of the Art Nouveau architecture shines by its renewed beauty towards everyone who passes by. The wish for the theatre is, so that it could shine in reception for passers by in a hundred years time as well.
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| BALLET |
| From the ceremonial opening in September 1883, to 1945, the German Theatre in Liberec had its drama, opera and operetta ensembles. In that time, members of the ballet ensemble were German dancers mostly from the rank of amateurs. Besides the shows of acrobatic and circus groups in the theater, there took place a series of guest performances from the ballet of the Theatre Na Vídeňce (An der Wien), the Prague German Country Theatre (1886), the Berlin Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtisches Theatre (1887, 1988), the Berlin ensemble Excelsior (1890), the Vienna State Opera of K. Godlewski (1924, 1925, 1933). Between 1933 – 1937, as a regular event, there were guest performances of a famous star of modern dance of the thirties, Harold Kreutzberg, who was born in Liberec. After World War II, there comes a radical ethnic, political and cultural transformation. Along with the opera and drama, also an independent professional ballet ensemble came to an existence. Rudolf Macharovský was the first ballet director, Z pohádky do pohádky (From a Fairy Tale to a Fairy Tale) was the first baller premiere. Among the personalities who shaped the history of ballet in Liberec, rightly belong Josef Škoda, Josef Judl, Věra Untermüllerová and Bohumil Svoboda. They performed not only classical titles (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker) but also works of modern ballet literature. |
| In 1964, Milena Moravcová came as the head of ballet. Her era meant innovative dramaturgy, she was choosing music of good quality, originally not written for ballet also from the jazz field. In 1971, František Pokorný comes to Liberec, and he realizes here his original conception of the contemporary dance theatre, and a number of the authorial ballet collages. In 1989, he founded an experimental school of dance, the only one of its kind in our country. With the Liberec ensemble he staged over thirty titles - The Human Comedy (1971), Rožmberské obrázky (the Rosenberg Images) (1972), Carmen (1974), Anna Karenina (1978), Viktorka (1979), Field Mass (1981), Špalíček (1990), Coppélia (1992 ). When František Pokorný left in 1993, his place was filled by Petr Šimek (Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, Krysař (The Pied Piper), Salome, who was replaced after four years by Lyubov Dančenko. Some guest choreographers were being invited for cooperation (D. Wiesner, J. Loginov, P. Šmok). Petr Tyc as the head of ballet and choreographer presents titles Sarah was 90 years old, Four Biblical Dances, and a project The Little I Know About the Sylphides in the year 2000. |
| Between 2001 - 2010 there worked Vlasta Vindušková as the head of ballet. During that period some guest choreographers and directors from our top scenes found their working possibilities here. The presented works they studied with the Liberec ballet ensemble, exceptionally with invited soloists. During nearly ten years in the functioning of Vlasta Vindušková, a lot of successful ballet performances were staged. From the most successful we can name Podzimní karneval (the Autumn Carnival) (G. Skála - T. Juřicová received the Thalia Award for the role of Fiona - 2001), Salieri? Mozart! (G. Skála - K. Miková was awarded with a side prize of Philip Morris - 2003), Coppélia (K. Dedková - Franková - 2006 - K. Míková was included into the Thalia Award nomination for her role of Svanilda). Under her leadership there was studied a title Nesnadná cesta k Labutímu jezeru (A Uneasy Way to the Swan Lake (F. Pokorny, with starring Vlastimil Harapes - 2007), Dáma s kaméliemi (Lady With Camellias) (Robert Balogh - 2008), Marná opatrnost (Vain Attention) (Daniel Wiesner - 2008). In 2009, the ballet ensemble presented an unusual title Marie Antoinette/Marquis de Sade (2009), where the role of the Marquis de Sade was shared by well-known and famous ballet masters, the names of both dancers saying all: Vlastimil Harapes and Jaroslav Slavický. Another interesting ballet is Charlotte (2010), in a direction and choreography of Jiří Horák. The main role was given to the guest soloist from the National Theatre in Prague Barbora Kohoutková. Thanks to her performance in the role of Charlotte she was chosen to the wider nomination for the prestigious Thalia Prize 2010. |
| In this year there appeared a new head of the Liberec ballet - a dancer and choreographer Alena Pešková, who has shown already by her first original performance Periferie (Periphery) (according to a drama by František Langer) that she wants to aim Liberec ensemble to the more comprehensively conceived dance theater, which, in addition to the dancing section applies civil drama, spoken word, singing and other theatrical components. Music for Periphery was written by Martin Němec, the frontman of Precedens and Lily Marlene, in the role of the narrator there also played, besides the dancers, a singer and actress Dáša Součková in that performance. In the main role of Anna there was alternating the soloist of the National Theatre Adéla Pollertová, who was chosen into the shortlist for the prize by Thalia for her performance. Alexey Yurakov was also chosen to the wider nomination for that award for the role of Franci. |
| OPERA |
| The beginnings of opera in Liberec belong to the period of the late 18th century, when the ballroom of Gemeindehaus heard the premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni and the Magic Flute. Since 1820, opera was played in the building of the Drapers´ Theatre, and after its burning out, since September 1883 in a new theatre building, which has been housing opera until today. It was mainly the work of Richard Wagner which became the supporting pillar of the opera repertoire of the new theatre. It included all the famous Wagner operas - with the exception of Parsifal and Rienzi, but also operas by G. Puccini, W. A. Mozart, R. Weinberger, G. Verdi and others. Extremely successful was Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, which reached fifteen sold-out performances in the season 1912 – 1913. At that time also operetta had its place there. Since 1923, the opera has been played also in the Czech language in Liberec. The Olomouc theatre company used to come here with its opera, operetta and drama regularly until 1938. |
| After a five-year break during World War II, the Czech opera begins in Liberec already on 10th May 1945 with Smetana's Prodaná nevěsta (Bartered Bride). In that first season, the opera ensemble went to Zittau, and a long-lasting tradition of friendship of the two opera theaters was founded. Jaromir Žid, the head of opera, was an important personality of the post-war era of the Liberec opera, under whose leadership there was realized a Smetana cycle already in 1954 - the first complete performance of Smetana's opera work in Czechoslovakia after 1945. Opera company built its repertoire primarily on post-war work of Czech classics (Smetana, Dvorak, Foerster, Janáček, Novák, Blodek) and the world opera production (Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, etc.). |
| Liberec opera experienced an important and famous era under the leadership of Rudolf Vašata, when it got to one of the leading positions among the Czechoslovak opera creation. Besides the classical opera from the world as well as Czech literature, R. Vašata paid his attention to the contemporary opera, and some new operas had their premieres in Liberec. After his arrival, R. Vašata founded a music and drama Liberec Spring Festival, whose second part in 1962 was devoted to the operas of the 20ieth century. In 1964, during the festival there takes place the second, complete operatic work by Smetana (with the aid of Ústi opera ensemble – Braniboři v Čechách - Brandenburgers in Bohemia and Čertova stěna - Devil's Wall). The regular care of the symphonic and vocal production brings important works by R. Wagner, S. Prokofiev, J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart etc. to the Liberec stage. A whole generation of outstanding artists, many of them later finding their place both at the scene of the National Theatre and abroad, grew under the leadership of R. Vašata in Liberec opera. |
| The Prague National Theatre has been connected with the opera of the František Xaver Šalda Theatre thanks to the permanent cooperation even nowadays, when some of its leading soloists are members of the National Theatre. The Liberec opera, the repertoire of which is based on a representative selection of the world and national literature, belongs to one of the leading opera ensembles in our country. After 1989 the opera has undergone a development which has been reflected in the positive change of dramaturgy towards the opera world titles. There have changed the conditions and possibilities for the cooperation with renowned artists from abroad. Since 1999, František Dáňa managed the funcion of the theatre director. In the cast there appeared, alongside with great soloists of F. X. Šalda Theatre, also excellent guests such as Michael Renier, Galiya Ibragimova, Aneta Baranovsky, Dagmar Žaludková. The head of opera ensemble Martin Doubravský and František Babický are permanent conductors of the opera. |
| In 2009, Martin Otava became a theatre director. He was originally an actor, singer, and especially an internationally renowned opera director who had previously introduced himself in Liberec as an opera director with the opera production of Gaetano Donizetti's opera Viva La Mamma or George Frideric Händel's Julius Caesar. Together with the head of opera, a conductor Martin Doubravský, they aim to the broadly stepped dramaturgy of the opera – alongside with famous and popular operas (Carmen, future La Traviata) they bring to the scene of Liberec, as the production team, works not so well-known and unjustly neglected. It was in the Liberec theatre that Giacomo Puccini´s opera Edgar was heard for the first time in the Czech Republic. Another outstanding event was an introduction of Bellini's opera La Sonnambula, which returned to the Czech stages thanks to the Liberec stage after more than 100 years. Another exceptional performance is Demon, a Russian opera by the composer Anton Rubinstein. In addition to the opera production, the Liberec ensemble also gives operetta and musical repertoire. The most successful musical performance of the last season is a musical Sugar inspired by the famous gangster film Some Like It Hot. |
| Outstanding opera soloists - Lívia Obručník Vénosová, Gabriela Kopperová, Kateřina Jalovcová, Václava Krejčí Housková, Anatolij Orel ... remain the cornerstone of the Liberec opera. Telling evidence of the level of Liberec singing scene was Thalia awards ceremony in 2009, when for most prestigious theatre award in the male opera category there competed Rafael Alvarez for the role of Nemorino in Liberec performance of The Poison of Love and Pavel Vančura, a longtime soloist of the Opera Liberec, for the role of Marbuel role in Dvořák's The Devil and Kate - who finally won the prize. |
| Liberec opera presents itself not only at its home scene but also abroad – the tour at the beginning of the year 2011 was highly successful when the production of Bellini's La Sonnambula was applauded by audiences in crowded theaters in France, Switzerland and Germany. A significant is also a co-production with the Opera Theatre of Polish Szczecin Castle, on the basis of which there arosed the mentioned productions of Puccini's Edgar, and Bellini's La Sonnambula. And just thanks to the staging of the opera Edgar, the Liberec opera obtained two major awards in 2011 National Opera Festival (the Audience Award and the Award of professional critics), in which all opera ensembles including the National Theatre in Prague take part. |
