Knipper Theatre, ''Kniper Theatre'' or ''Knieper Theatre'' () was the venue of a German theatrical troupe led by
Karl Kniper which performed in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
beginning in 1775,
[E.S. Khodorkovskaia, "Knippera K. Truppa," ''Muzykal'nyi Peterburg: Entsiklopedicheskii Slovar'', vol. II (St. Petersburg, Kompozitor: 2000), 59-63.] and ending in 1797.
History
The theatre building was converted from a
manège (riding school), located on the Tsaritsa Meadow () near the present-day
Tripartite Bridge. From 1770 to 1777 it was occupied by English comedians, until they were replaced with Karl Knipper's
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
troupe.
In 1779 Knipper signed a contract with the Foundling Home that established the Volny Rossiysky Teatre (''Вольный Российский Театр'' – ''The Free Russian Theatre''). As part of this contract the Board of Trustees of the St Petersburg chapter of the Foundling Home ("Петербургский воспитательный дом" or "educational home") sent Knipper 50 of its pupils to instruct and eventually incorporate into spectacles. The composer
Vasily Pashkevich
Vasily Alexeyevich Pashkevich also Paskevich () (c. 1742, probably Ukraine – March 20, 1797 in St. Petersburg) was a Russian composer, singer, violinist and teacher of Ukrainian origin who lived during the time of Catherine the Great.
Bi ...
was the pupils' music instructor. From 1782 to 1783 the director of the theatre was the well-known Russian actor
Ivan Dmitrievsky, who performed at his
benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
the famous comedy ''Nedorosl'' ( – ''The Minor'') by
Denis Fonvizin (1782). Choreographer Gasparo Angiolini and ballet dancer Francesco Rosetti were briefly dance instructors.
On 12 July 1783 the Imperial Theaters acquired the building and later Knipper's German troupe as well, but the Free Russian Theatre was dissolved. The building was renamed the Gorodskoy Derevyanny Theatre ( – ''The Wooden Town Theatre'' ) or Maly Theatre ( – ''Little Theatre''). This existed until 1797, when it was dismantled at the demand of
Paul I of Russia
Paul I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination in 1801.
Paul remained overshadowed by his mother, Catherine the Great, for most of his life. He adopted the Pauline Laws, laws of succession to the Russian throne—rules ...
, because it was obstructing troop maneuvering during parades.
Repertoire
The repertoire of Knipper's German Theatre included:
* Guglielmi ''Robert und Kalliste''
* Wolf ''Die Dorfdeputierten''
* Schweitzer ''Das Elysium''
* Holli ''Der Bassa von Tunis''
* Stegman ''Der Deserteur''
* Hiller ''Der Jagd''
* Bender ''Der Walder''
* Hiller ''Die Jubelhochzeit''
* Hefe ''Die Apotheke''
* Hiller ''Die Liebe auf dem Lande''
* Hiller ''Der Dorfbarbier''
* Hiller ''Lottchen am Hofe''
* Wolf ''Das Grosse Los''
* Gretri ''Lucile''
* Stegman ''Das Redende Gemälde''
* Piccini ''Die Nacht''
The repertoire of the Free Russian Theatre included the following operas:
*
Vasily Pashkevich
Vasily Alexeyevich Pashkevich also Paskevich () (c. 1742, probably Ukraine – March 20, 1797 in St. Petersburg) was a Russian composer, singer, violinist and teacher of Ukrainian origin who lived during the time of Catherine the Great.
Bi ...
: ''Misfortune from a Coach'' (''Несчастье от кареты – Neschastye ot karety'' 7 November 1779
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
Libretto by
Yakov Knyazhnin)
*
Mikhail Sokolovsky: ''The Miller - a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker'' (''Мельник – колдун, обманщик и сват – Melnik – koldun, obmanshchik i svat'' to the text by
Alexander Ablesimov, first in 1779 Moscow, c.1795
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
)
*
Ivan Kerzelli: ''Rozana i Lyubim'' (''Розана и Любим'' – ''Rozana und Lyubim'', four-act opera, text by
Nikolai Nikolev, first in 1778, Moscow)
*
Vasily Pashkevich
Vasily Alexeyevich Pashkevich also Paskevich () (c. 1742, probably Ukraine – March 20, 1797 in St. Petersburg) was a Russian composer, singer, violinist and teacher of Ukrainian origin who lived during the time of Catherine the Great.
Bi ...
: ''The Saint-Petersburg Bazaar'' (''Санкт-Петербургский Гостиный Двор'' – ''Sankt Peterburgskiy Gostinyi Dvor'' 1782
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
), etc.
Notes
External links
Teatralnaya entsiklopedia (in Russian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kniper Theatre
Theatres in Saint Petersburg
Opera houses in Russia
1777 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
1797 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire
18th century in Saint Petersburg