Opernhaus am Taschenberg
| Opernhaus am Taschenberg | |
|---|---|
Interior of the opera house in 1678
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| General information | |
| Type | Opera house |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Town or city | Dresden, Saxony |
| Coordinates | 51°03′09″N 13°44′09″E / 51.0525°N 13.7359°ECoordinates: 51°03′09″N 13°44′09″E / 51.0525°N 13.7359°E |
| Construction started | 1664 |
| Completed | 1667 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Wolf Caspar von Klengel |
| First Catholic Hofkirche | |
|---|---|
Interior of the court church in 1719
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| General information | |
| Type | Church |
| Renovated | 1708 |
| Closed | 1751 |
| Demolished | 1888 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | J. C. v. Naumann |
The Opernhaus am Taschenberg (Opera house at the Taschenberg) was a theatre in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, built from 1664 to 1667 by Wolf Caspar von Klengel. It was the first opera house of the capital of Saxony, Residenz of the Elector of Saxony. Seating up to 2000 people, it was at the time one of the largest opera houses in Europe. It was also called Klengelsches Opernhaus (after the architect) and Komödienhaus am Taschenberg (Comedy house at the Taschenberg).
Only 40 years after its opening, it was changed to serve as the first Hofkirche (Court church) for the Elector who had converted to the Catholic Church. When a new church was dedicated in 1751 (the present Dresden Cathedral known as the Hofkirche) the building was used as a Ballhaus (a space for playing real tennis) and an archive. It was demolished in 1888.
The opera house was built adjacent to the Dresden Residenz in the south-west, connected by a corridor. The property to the west was empty until construction of the Zwinger began in 1709.
During the second half of the 17th century, important rulers tried to establish court theatres as separate buildings, to house Baroque opera with an increasing demand for stage sets and decoration, and to seat more people.John George II, Elector of Saxony, commissioned an opera house which was built from 1664 and opened in 1667. It seated almost 2000 people. The first performance was on 27 January 1667 Il teseo by Giovanni Andrea Moneglia. The premiere of the first extant German opera was on 9 February 1672, Drama oder Musikalisches Schauspiel von der Dafne by Marco Giuseppe Peranda and Giovanni Andrea Bontempi. The exterior of the building in Baroque style was rather simple, built from Elbe Sandstone, but the interior lavishly decorated. The ceiling was painted by Johann Oswald Harms. A proscenium separated the stage and the auditorium. The stage could take ten stage sets. The contemporary Italian historian Gregorio Leti described the hall: "Das Comödienhaus […] mit Bogen, Säulen und Balkonen von Marmor könnte prächtiger nicht sein, als es ist, und es gibt vermutlich kein andres so schön und gediegen erbautes in Europa." (The comedy house with vaults, columns and balconies of marble could not be more magnificent than it is, and there is probably no other in Europe built as beautifully and solidly.) In 1691, the theatre was rebuilt following Italian models with four tiers.
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