Vienna The most often photographed part of the theatre is the Papageno Gate. It portrays the theatre’s founder – Emanuel Schikaneder – who wrote the libretto for Mozart’s The Magic Flute and was also the first to play the role of Papageno. Although even this gate was later modified, it is the only part of the building that, from the outside, brings the original 1801 building to mind. 1901 brought major changes: the architects Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer built a four-story apartment building above the new entrance. After the river was covered over in 1910, space was created next to the theatre for Vienna’s popular marketplace – the Naschmarkt. Thanks to the great success of the first theatre in Vienna’s Wieden District, Emanuel Schikaneder could afford to build a new theatre on the banks of the Wien River (an der Wien) in 1801. This 1815 drawing by Jakob Alt shows the theatre after the first expansion of the entry wing. The original façade on the side facing Millöckergasse, with the Papageno Gate in the center, can be seen in this painting, which now hangs in the foyer of the theatre. Particularly the entrance to the theatre facing the river (today’s Naschmarkt) was gradually covered over by more recent alterations. The theatre entrance during the second half of the 20th century. Starting in the 1960s, the theatre produced primarily musicals, but, during summer festivals, works from the older opera repertoire were also staged. The entrance received its current appearance in 2006. MNICHOVO HRADIŠTĚ STAVOVSKÉ DIVADLO Kačina Litomyšl Český Krumlov Weitra (Vitoraz) Grein Theatre an der Wien Graz – SchauspielHAUS Graz – OPERA HISTORY Detail of the caryatids between the boxes in the auditorium. One of the theatre’s oldest preserved elements is the painted curtain with motifs from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, designed by Ludwig Grünfeld and Friedrich Schilcher. The ceiling painting of the nine muses, a favourite theatre motif, was completed by Josef Geyling in 1856. The richly decorated auditorium provides a good view of the stage, which was equipped with the most modern technology prior to its reopening in 2006. Photo: Martina Novozámská The theatre’s auditorium retained the Italian layout for the boxes throughout, something that is unusual in Austria today. The fourth balcony was eliminated during the renovations in 1901. Photo: Martina Novozámská Auditorium The audience spaces, the foyers, the hallways and the dressing rooms present what is today an interesting mix of styles from the second half of the 20th century, where both historical replicas as well as more modern elements build onto the decorations from the 1960s, which were themselves incorporated into interiors dating back to the turn of the century. Photo: Martina Novozámská The audience spaces, the foyers, the hallways and the dressing rooms present what is today an interesting mix of styles from the second half of the 20th century, where both historical replicas as well as more modern elements build onto the decorations from the 1960s, which were themselves incorporated into interiors dating back to the turn of the century. Photo: Martina Novozámská The audience spaces, the foyers, the hallways and the dressing rooms present what is today an interesting mix of styles from the second half of the 20th century, where both historical replicas as well as more modern elements build onto the decorations from the 1960s, which were themselves incorporated into interiors dating back to the turn of the century. Photo: Martina Novozámská The audience spaces, the foyers, the hallways and the dressing rooms present what is today an interesting mix of styles from the second half of the 20th century, where both historical replicas as well as more modern elements build onto the decorations from the 1960s, which were themselves incorporated into interiors dating back to the turn of the century. Photo: Martina Novozámská The audience spaces, the foyers, the hallways and the dressing rooms present what is today an interesting mix of styles from the second half of the 20th century, where both historical replicas as well as more modern elements build onto the decorations from the 1960s, which were themselves incorporated into interiors dating back to the turn of the century. Photo: Martina Novozámská Interiors