Anton Aicher (1859 – 5 February 1930) was the founding
Artistic Director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogu ...
of the
Salzburg Marionette Theatre. He founded the company in 1913 and was its leader until his death.
Background
Aicher was born in a small village in southern
Styria
Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
in Austria. His talent for carving was recognised at an early age and he was sent to study with the well known maker of altar pieces. His interest in figures in motion took him to
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
to one of the masters of puppetry
Papa Schmid.
[Salzburg Marionetten Theater, p.30]
Influences
One of the greatest influences on Aicher was the work of
Count Franz Pocci, founder of the
Munich Marionette Theatre.
Salzburg Marionette Theatre
In 1913, Aicher founded the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. The company opened on 27 February 1913 with a production of
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's opera, ''
Bastien and Bastienne''
. In October of the same year, Aicher hired the gymnasium of the Borromaeum seminary and installed his company there. The venue was the home of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre for 49 years.
[Salzburg Marionetten Theater, p.17]
World War I did not interrupt the workings of the theatre company. In 1926, Aicher handed over the management of the theatre to his son,
Hermann Aicher. 1927 saw the first tour of the company to
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. This tour started a tradition that still continues today.
Legacy
Professor Anton Aicher's company continues to flourish today under the artistic direction of his granddaughter,
Gretl Aicher.
References
Books and articles
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External links
- Salzburg Marionette Theatrehomepage of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre - available in English and German
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aicher, Anton
1859 births
1930 deaths
Austrian puppeteers
Austrian theatre directors
Austrian designers
Performing arts presenters
People from Salzburg
People from Austria-Hungary
People from the Duchy of Salzburg