The Theater Trier is the municipal theatre of

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

, offering opera and musical, dance and drama. The company dates back to 1802. The current house was completed in 1964, and needs renovation. The director since 2018 is . Since 1995, the theatre has run a series of unknown operas, initiated by Heinz Lukas-Kindermann. It included world premieres such as ''Sarema'' by Zemlinsky, ''Die unendliche Geschichte'' by Siegfried Matthus, and ''Fausta'' by Heinz Heckmann. It also shows German premieres such as '' The Voyage'' by Philip Glass, revivals of neglected repertoire such as ''

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

'' by Karl Goldmark'','' and ''

Koanga ''Koanga'' is an opera written between 1896 and 1897, with music by Frederick Delius and a libretto by Charles Francis Keary, inspired partly by the book '' The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life'' by George Washington Cable (1880). Inspirat ...

'' by Frederick Delius.

History

1802 to 1944

When Trier was a Roman town, there was already theatre. In 1802,

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

visited the French-occupied city and decreed that the former Capuchin monastery was designated for the establishment of a theatre.Theaterlandschaften / Theater Trier
broadview.tv/de From 1802 to 1944, the theatre played in the building on Fahrstraße. In 1908, Heinz Tietjen conducted a performance of Wagner's ''

Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compo ...

''. Before the closure of the theatre ordered by the Nazis, the last performance in this building took place on 16 July 1944 with ''

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...

'' by Richard Strauss. On 23 December 1944, the theatre building in Fahrstraße was destroyed by an Allied air raid.

After World War II

After the end of the war, the theatre played provisionally in the Treveris Hall until 1950, then from 1950 to 1964 in the Bischof-Korum-Haus in Rindertanzstraße. On 12 January 1962, the foundation stone was laid for a new building, , which was constructed by 1964 according to plans by the architect .Claus Zander: ''Das neue Theater der Stadt Trier'' in ''Neues Trierisches Jahrbuch 1965'' On 27 September 1964, the theatre opened in the new building with a premiere of Beethoven's '' Die Weihe des Hauses''. The house seats 622 spectators. The main stage is wide and deep including the front stage. It is surrounded by a side stage and a back stage with a sliding stage and a built-in revolving stage. The stage is separated from the auditorium by a curved iron curtain. The orchestra pit has space for 65 musicians on two mobile podiums. When raised, these podiums form the front stage. The stage opening can be enlarged or reduced by means of a variable stage portal. The theatre employs a staff of more than 250 people, including the acting ensemble, the musical theatre ensemble with opera choir, and children's and youth choir, the ballet ensemble and the philharmonic orchestra, which since 2018 has been led by general

music director A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...

Jochem Hochstenbach.Theater Trier
(in German)

2021 Ensemble members and guest performers have included Franz Grundheber and

Anja Kampe Anja Kampe (born 1968) is a German-Italian operatic soprano. She is notable for her performances in major opera houses of the works of Richard Wagner and other German and Austrian composers. Career Kampe was born in Zella-Mehlis, Thuringia, then ...

,Theater Trier
operone.de 2011 In June 2013, the theatre was placed on the by the German Cultural Council and classified as "threatened with closure" (category 1). In the spring of 2014, the city council decided to continue the theatre's operation.Karl M. Sibelius wird neuer Intendant
Theater Trier, 4 April 2014, retrieved 21 May 2021 From 2021, director Karl M. Sibelius will be assisted by co-director Lajos Wenzel; contracts, also for Jochem Hochstenbach, run to 2028.

Redevelopment

Since 2015, the future of the theatre has been discussed, as the building is in need of renovation due to long-neglected building maintenance and there are considerable space problems. After controversial discussions, in which the construction of a second location elsewhere was also considered, according to an expert opinion from 2016, the costs for a pure renovation of the existing theatre building were around 32 million euros, for renovation and expansion up to 110 million euros. Therefore, at the beginning of 2019, the Trier City Council decided to renovate the existing theatre, which will essentially be preserved in its current form – however, the demolition and new construction of the foyer will be required. During the approximately three-year renovation phase (planned start of construction August 2021), operations will be relocated to a new building at the with 380 seats. For opera performances and symphony concerts, the is also to be used during the refurbishment.

Rediscoveries and world premieres

The theatre has focused on lesser-known operas since 1995, when Heinz Lukas-Kindermann initiated a series ''Unbekannte Opern''. He was often the stage director when world premieres, German premieres and revivals of neglected operas took place in Trier.Gurlitt-Uraufführung am Theater Trier
'' Neue Musikzeitung'' These included: * 1995/96: ''Sarema'' by

Alexander von Zemlinsky Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher. Biography Early life Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfather, Anton ...

* 1996/97: ''

'' by Karl Goldmark * 1996/97: '' Ritter Blaubart'' by Jacques Offenbach * 1996/97: ''Die Glasmenagerie'' (''The Glass Menagerie'') by

Antonio Bibalo Antonio Gino Bibalo (18 January 1922 – 20 June 2008) was an Italian- Norwegian pianist and composer of contemporary classical music, primarily operas. Biography Bibalo was born in Trieste and studied piano at the conservatory there. His path ...

– world premiere * 1997/98: ''Die Soldaten'' by Manfred Gurlitt * 1997: ''Die Geschichte vom kleine Bergsee und dem alten Adler'' (''The Story of the Little Blue Mountain Lake and the Old Eagle'') by

Wilfried Hiller Wilfried Hiller (born 15 March 1941) is a German composer. He became known above all for his stage works for families, children and young people. Life and work Hiller was born the son of the teacher August Hiller and his wife Josepha Hiller, n ...

– world premiereDie Geschichte vom kleine Bergsee und dem alten Adler – Wilfried Hiller / Theater Trier
lukas-kindermann.de * 1998/99: ''Die Kathrin'' by

Erich Wolfgang Korngold Erich Wolfgang Korngold (; May 29, 1897 – November 29, 1957) was an Austrian composer and conductor, who fled Europe in the mid-1930s and later adopted US nationality. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential comp ...

* 1999/2000: ''

'' by

Frederick Delius file:Fritz Delius (1907).jpg, Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius (born Fritz Theodor Albert Delius; ; 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934) was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prospero ...

– German premiere * 2000: ''Trilogy of Summer Retreat'' by Ingomar Grünauer – world premiere

EXPO 2000 Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially, some 40 million people were ...

* 2000: ''Margot la Rouge'' by

* 2000: ''Ein Bericht für eine Akademie'' (''A Report for an Academy'') by

Jan Klusák Jan Klusák (born 18 April 1934 in Prague as Jan Porges) is a contemporary Czech composer, author of film, television and incidental music. Life Klusák was born to a Czech Jewish family, who owned a farm in Prosek, Prague. After he graduated ...

– German premiere * 2002: ''Pinocchio'' by

– world premiere * 2003: ''Nordische Ballade'' (''Nordic Ballad'') by Manfred Gurlitt (production: Lukas-Kindermann) – world premiere * 2004: ''Die unendliche Geschichte'', after ''

The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...

'', by Siegfried Matthus – world premiere (production: Lukas-Kindermann) * 2004: ''Das Orangenmädchen'' by Martin Lingnau / Edith Jeske – world premiere * 2005: '' Die Rheinnixen'' by

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. He was a p ...

, original version (production: Bruno Berger-Gorski) * 2005: ''Quo Vadis'' by

Konstantin Wecker Konstantin Alexander Wecker (born 1 June 1947) is a German ''Liedermacher'' (singer-songwriter) who also works as a composer, author and actor. Life and work Wecker was born in Munich. Classically educated at the Wilhelmsgymnasium, Wecker got o ...

/ Gerold Theobalt Antikenfestspiele (production: ) – world premiere * 2007: ''Fausta'' by / Heiner Martini (production: Hermann Keckeis) – world premiere * 2007: ''Cusanus – Fragmente der Unendlichkeit'' (''Cusanus ― Fragments of Infinity'') by Boudewijn Buckinx (production: Sven Grützmacher) – world premiere * 2011: '' The Voyage'' by

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

(production: Birgit Scherzer) – German premiere * 2015: ''Ur_'' by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir (production: Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson) – world premiere

Discography

* ''Sarema – Die Rose vom Kaukasus / Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871–1942).'' With Karin Clark, Laszlo Lukas, Norbert Kleinhenn, Andreas Scheel, Juri Zinovenko, Nick Herbosch, Florian Simson, Chor and Extrachor of the Stadttheaters Trier (study: ), Städtisches Orchester Trier conducted by István Dénes. Koch International 1996.

References

External links

*
Theater Trier
(articles, in German) Neue Musikzeitung
Skizzen und Bauzeichnungen des Stadttheaters Trier
made by , in Architekturmuseum of the

Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin; also known as Berlin Institute of Technology and Technical University of Berlin, although officially the name should not be translated) is a public university, public research university located in Berlin, Germany. It was the first ...

{{portal bar, Theatre, Germany Theatres in Rhineland-Palatinate Culture in Trier