Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Lviv National Opera | |
---|---|
Львівський Національний академічний театр опери та балету імені Соломії Крушельницької | |
Former names | Lemberger Oper, Opera Lwowska, Teatr Wielki, Solomia Krushelnytska Lviv National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet |
General information | |
Type | Opera house |
Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
Location | Lviv, Ukraine |
Address | Svobody av., 28 |
Groundbreaking | 1897 |
Completed | 1900 |
Opened | October 4, 1900 |
Renovated | 1989–1994 |
Owner | National |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Zygmunt Gorgolewski |
Other information | |
Seating capacity | 1,100 |
Website | |
www |
The Solomiya Krushelnytska Lviv State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (
According to the inscription in the theatre lobby, the building was constructed between 1897 and 1900. Originally built when Lviv was the capital of the autonomous province of Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Lviv Opera (German: Lemberger Oper) first stood at the end of Archduke Karl Ludwig Avenue, was later known as the Grand Theatre (Polish: Teatr Wielki) of the Second Polish Republic, and during the time of Soviet rule, entering patrons would pass by a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin. For four decades, the theatre was known as the Ivan Franko Lviv State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, having been renamed in 1956 after the city's famous poet and political activist on the centenary of his birth.
In 2000, the Lviv Opera celebrated its own centennial with another renaming, this time after one of the city's native daughters, Solomiya Krushelnytska, a renowned soprano of the early 20th century.
History
At the end of the 19th century, the civic leaders of Lviv felt the need for a large city theatre to be situated in the capital of Galicia. In 1895, the city announced an architectural design competition, which attracted a large number of submissions.[1] Among the participants were the Viennese architects Fellner & Helmer, whose entry was rejected as too international and eclectic.[2]
An independent jury chose the design by
In June 1897, the cornerstone was placed. Gorgolewski oversaw construction, earthwork and design, employing the leading stonemasons from the city and beyond. Local materials were used wherever possible, however marble elements were manufactured in Vienna, special linen for painting in the foyer was imported from Belgium. The German company Siemens, ran the electrical wiring and lights, while the hydraulic mechanization of the stage was built by the Polish railway workshop company in Sanok.[1]
Construction continued for three years. Funding came from the city, the surrounding communities, and from voluntary donations. The cost of the works totaled 2.4 million
Stories remain that despite the engineering innovations used by Gorgolewski to construct the foundation of the building, it began to slowly sink because of the Poltva river running underneath it in a tunnel. In July 1903 he died suddenly of paralysis of the aorta.[5] After some initial settling, the building ceased 'sinking' and remains stable to this day, owing to the innovative design of Gorgolewski.[citation needed]
In April 1990, immediately prior to the
Grand opening
The Lviv Opera opened on October 4, 1900. The cultural elite—painters, writers, and composers, as well as delegations from various European theatres—attended the opening festivities. Among the guests attending the ceremony were writer
The grand opening gala that evening included excerpts from
Architectural style
The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is built in the classical tradition using forms and details of
The theatre became a centrefold of the achievements in sculpture and painting of Western Europe at the end of the 19th century. The internal decoration was prepared by some of the most renowned Polish artists of the time. Among them were Stanisław Wójcik (allegorical sculptures of Poetry, Music, Fame, Fortune, Comedy and Tragedy), Julian Markowski, Tadeusz Wiśniowiecki, Tadeusz Barącz, Piotr Wojtowicz (relief depicting the coat of arms of Lviv), Juliusz Bełtowski (bas-relief of Gorgolewski) and Antoni Popiel (sculptures of Muses decorating the façade).[citation needed]
Among the painters to decorate the interior were
See also
Notes
a.^ The Habsburg Empire. The World of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in Original Photographs 1840–1916 by Franz Hubmann, Vienna, 1971, attributes this theatre to Fellner & Helmer.
References
- ^ a b c "History Facts". Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ Ther 2014, p. 104.
- ^ Prokopovych 2009, p. 177.
- ^ Fryderyk Papée (1924). "Lwów nowoczesny – Okres samorządowy". Historia miasta Lwowa w zarysie (Concise history of the city of Lwów) (in Polish). Lwów-Warsaw: Książnica Polska.
- ^ Zygmunt Gorgolewski, twórca gmachu Lwowskiego Teatru Wielkiego ("Zygmunt Gorgolewski, the creator of the building of the Lwów Grand Theatre"), by Piotr Marek Stański. (in Polish)
- ^ The three were considered the most renowned Polish artists[citation needed] of the epoch
- ^ The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Lviv Best Portal The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet architectural description Archived 2010-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
Sources
- Prokopovych, Markian (2009). Habsburg Lemberg: Architecture, Public Space, and Politics in the Galician Capital, 1772–1914. Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-15575-3-510-8.
- Ther, Philipp (2014). Center Stage: Operatic Culture and Nation Building in Nineteenth-Century Central Europe. ISBN 978-15575-3-675-4.
External links
- Media related to Lviv Opera House at Wikimedia Commons
- Opera House, Lviv Krushelnitskaya National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Lviv)