Vienna State Opera programme for the new season 2019/2020
Enjoy a wonderful evening at the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper), one of the world’s leading opera houses.
Vienna is known worldwide for its classical music. The Vienna State Opera particularly captivates its visitors as one of the most important opera houses in the world: built in a grandiose neo-renaissance style to reflect the origins of its art, construction began in 1861 and finished in 1869. On May 25, 1869, the opera house solemnly opened with Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera (Wiener Hofoper). In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian Republic, it was renamed to "Vienna State Opera".
The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the Vienna Philharmonic, which is an incorporated society of its own, whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. In the last year of World War II, the Vienna State Opera was nearly destroyed during an allied bombing raid intended for another target. Only the front section and the main stairways remained intact. The stage and the auditorium, however, were completely destroyed.
The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing over 50 operas in a repertory system per year and varied ballet productions in more than 350 performances per season. It is quite common to find performances of a different opera each day of a week. The Vienna State Opera holds the title for creating the most productions per year and is notorious for its outstanding performances, thanks to its incredible acoustics. There are around 1,709 seats inside with standing room for 567 additional people, with a total capacity of 2,284. The repertoire of the Vienna State Opera ranges from baroque music to the best pieces of the 21st century, with a focus on the 19th century.
The new season 2019/2020 will feature over 350 performances, including 223 opera as well as 54 ballet performances. Stars such as Piotr Beczala, Juan Diego Flórez, Anna Netrebko and Andreas Schager will grace the stage of the Vienna State Opera, to name just a few. Furthermore, there will be special concerts, vocal matinées, children’s concerts and other special events completing the extensive programme.
The season 2019/2020 offers six opera premieres (including 2 world premieres):
The first of the premieres will be Benjamin Brittens "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" on 2 October 2019, followed by the world premiere of Olga Neuwirths "Orlando" on
8 December as well as Albin Fries' opera for children "Persinette" on 21 December 2019, just in time for the Christmas season.
As of February 2020, Ludwig van Beethoven's "Fidelio Urfassung (Leonore)" will enchant the guests. Another highlight of the season will come in May 2020: "Cosí fan tutte" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with the final opera premiere this season being Giuseppe Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera" in June 2020.
Ballet director Manuel Legris has also some ballet premieres at hand: in addition to the traditional Nureyev Gala on 25 June 2020, he will present Balanchine’s "Jewels" on 2 November 2019 as well as a three-part performance on 4 March 2020 of "Movements to Stravinsky" by Andras Lukacs, "Between Dogs and Wolves" by Pontus Lidberg und "White Darkness" by Nacho Duato.
In 2020, Beethoven would have been 250 years old – to commemorate the famous composer, the Vienna State Opera will be performing not only the existing Fidelio production by Otto Schenk, but also for the first time the original version of this work, dating from 1805. By the way, Fidelio is the only opera in Beethoven’s oeuvre.
In addition, the Beethoven Year will be honoured through the series of matinées "The Vienna Philharmonic Chamber Music", which will present a Beethoven cycle.
Moreover, classical music lovers will be delighted by the cast for Wagners "Ring of the Nibelung" in March 2020: Nina Stemme as Brünnhilde, Tomasz Konieczny as King of the Gods, Elisabeth Kulman as Fricka in "Die Walküre" and also Andreas Schager, one of the most sought-after heroic tenors of our time, as Siegmund. The Austrian tenor star will also take on other performances such as the role of Tamino in "The Magic Flute", Max in "Der Freischütz" or Kaiser in "Die Frau ohne Schatten".
Piotr Beczala will take on the role of the Swan Knight in the classic "Lohengrin", conducted by Valerij Gergiev.
The highlights of the new season 2019/2020 at the Vienna Opera House:
"La Traviata"
04th, 07th and 10th September 2019
20th, 23rd and 27th June 2020
"Don Pasquale":
30th October 2019
03rd November 2019
13th and 16th May 2020
"Il Barbiere di Siviglia"
19th and 24th October 2019
07th and 10th January 2020
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
02nd, 05th, 09th, 13th, 17th and 21st October 2019
"Le Nozze di Figaro"
27th and 30th March 2019
03rd and 6th April 2020
30th May 2020
01st and 05th June 2020
"Lohengrin"
09th, 12th, 16th and 19th January 2020
"Un ballo in Maschera"
Premiere: 15th June 2020
18th, 21st, 24th and 29th June 2020
"Don Giovanni"
25th and 29th November 2019
01st and 04th December 2019
21st, 25th and 29th May 2020
"Madama Butterfly"
12th and 16th October 2019
26th and 2nd February 2020
2nd March 2020
24th and 27th April 2020
1st May 2020
"La Boheme"
29th September 2019
03rd and 07th October 2019
19th, 22nd and 02nd December 2019
"La Cenerentola"
18th, 22nd and 25th January 2020
21st and 25th March 2020
"Nabucco"
14th and 17th June 2020
"Hänsel und Gretel"
27th and 30th December 2019
02nd and 05th January 2020
"Le Corsaire"
21st, 23rd, 26th, 28th and 29th December 2019
03rd January 2020
"Die Zauberflöte" - "The Magic Flute"
10th, 13th and 15th December 2019
"Die Fledermaus" - "The Bat"
31st December 2018
01st, 04th und 06th January 2019
"Das Ring des Nibelungen"
Das Rheingold on 15th March 2020
Siegfried on 22nd March 2020
Götterdämmerung on 28th March 2020
"Tosca"
30th November 2019 03rd and 06th December 2019
20th, 23th and 26th March 2019
10th and 13th February 2020
"Lucia de Lammermoor"
04th, 07th and 11th June 2020
"Der Rosenkavalier"
13th, 16th and 19th April 2019
"Simon Boccanegra"
23rd, 26th and 29th October 2019
"Orest "
14th, 17th and 20th November 2019
"Die Frau ohne Schatten"
10th, 14th and 18th October 2019
"Nurejew Gala 2019"
on 25th June 2019
Obviously, for all these productions, the box office is sold out several months in advance. Vienna Ticket Provider always has a small contingent of tickets for each performance, so we will be happy to provide you with a ticket for any performance you wish to attend at the Vienna Opera House. Feel free to contact us indicating your preferred date and we will send you a complete program of the concerts, performances and activities available on those dates.
The Vienna Opera Ball (Wiener Opernball) is an internationally renowned Austrian society event which takes place in Vienna at the historical building of the State Opera, annually on the Thursday preceding Ash Wednesday (a religious holiday). Those in attendance often include visitors from all around the world, especially prominent names in business and politics. The opera ball receives media coverage from a range of outlets. Together with the New Year Concert, the ball is one of the highlights of the Viennese ball & carnival season.
Do you want to take part in such an important event? We will make it happen for you! Send us an e-mail and we will gladly provide you with all necessary information regarding price, location and dresscode. Vienna Ticket Provider would be happy to organise tickets as well as table reservations and stage boxes for you.
This season the 64th Vienna Opera Ball will take place on 20.02.2020.