Exterior View
Looking at the building from the Opernring, in other words from the front, the historical part from the original 1869 building is visible. The façade remains in Renaissance arched style and the loggia on the Ringstrasse side underline the public character of the building.
Ernst Julius Hähnel
The two representations of riders over the main façade of the loggia were erected in 1876. They were created by Ernst Julius Hähnel and represent two flying horses, illustrating Harmony and the muse of poetry (Erato).
Also by Hähnel are the five bronze statues (from left to right: Heroism, the Songstress, Fantasy, Thalia and Love) which stand on pedestals inside the arched loggia arcade.
Moritz von Schwind
In the loggia one can see the painted Magic Flute cycle by Moritz von Schwind. In order to protect the painter’s precious work from the harmful effects of the weather, a protective glass covering is installed and remains from November until April.
Fountains
Right and left of the house two old fountains by Josef Gasser can be seen. They represent opposing worlds. Left: Music, Dance, Joy, and Lightheartedness, Right: Loreley, Grief, Love, and Revenge.
The Building
The back part of the two part building is clearly wider and houses the stage and the accompanying facilities while the narrower front part houses the auditorium and the publicly accessible rooms. Worth noting are the differing roof shapes: the vaulted roof all around over the higher central parts of the building covering the auditorium and the stage, the Walm roof on the lateral wings, the Saddle roof on the two-storey links between the lateral wings and the French roof on the corner turrets.
The vertical wing sections were originally used as carriage ramps. On the transverse front sides the crest of the Austrian-Hungarian empire can be seen.
Interior of the former opera house
Entering through one of the main doors into the box office foyer, which has remained in its original form, gives an immediate impression of the interior of the former opera house which was mostly destroyed on the 12th of March 1945 shortly before the end of hostilities in the Second World War. Remaining in its original form is the entire façade and main foyer, the central stairway (known as the ‘celebratory stairway’), the Schwindfoyer and loggia as well as the Tea Salon on the first floor.
The main stairwell
On the first half-landing of the celebratory stairway, to the side of the main entrance to the Parterre boxes, two medallions designed by the sculptor Josef Cesar are displayed featuring portraits of the architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll. Overhead can be seen two high relief pictures by Johann Preleuthner, symbolizing the ‘Ballet’ and the ‘Opera’. A special embellishment of the stairwell is the ceiling painting ‘Fortune spreading her gifts’ after a design by Franz Dobiaschofsky. Also by him are the three canvas wall paintings representing ballet, and comic and tragic opera. The seven allegorical statues designed by Joseph Gasser which line the celebratory stairway represent the seven free arts (architecture, sculpture, poetry, dance, music, theatre and painting). They were retrieved unharmed during the last days of the war.
Tea Salon and Middle Box
The showpiece of the historical section is the Tea Salon (formerly the Emperor Salon), located between the celebratory stairwell and the Middle Box. The former Court box, as well as the Tea Salon were formerly reserved for use by the Court. The entrance to the Court box incidentally marks the border of the 1945 fire. The Tea Salon is still today not always accessible as it is used for production meetings, conferences, awards ceremonies, receptions and so on. The ceiling painting by Karl Madjera (Music on the eagle’s wings) with representations of lyric and tragic music on both sides, has retained its vibrant colours. The ceiling and walls are adorned with 22 carat gold leaf. Also of interest are the sculptures by August La Ligne, wall embroideries from the workshop Giani and tapestries featuring the initials of Franz Joseph I.
The Auditorium
Today the Middle Box is accessible to the pubic. It gives an impressive view of the horseshoe shaped auditorium, which had to be completely rebuilt after the Second World War. The re-building of the auditorium, new stairways to the former 3rd gallery, all the public cloak rooms and the interval rooms in the upper levels were entrusted to Erich Boltenstern, Professor at the technical college and at the Academy for the plastic arts in Vienna, as the result of a competition. The architects Otto Prossinger, Ceno Kosak and Felix Cevela designed the interval rooms on the 1st level. The basic Italian theatre design, with three box levels and two open levels (balcony and gallery) was maintained, according to the plans of Sicardsburg and van der Nüll. Boltenstern limited his changes to slightly lifting the 3rd gallery (today the Balcony). The columns on the 3rd and 4th gallery levels were eliminated as there was no longer any structural need for them. In their place a free floating ceiling construction was chosen which dramatically improved sightlines.
From the original capacity of the auditorium, which was 2,881 places, only 2,282 places remain (of which 1,709 are sitting, 567 are standing, 4 are wheelchair, and 4 are accompanying places). The reduction in the number was necessary due to stricter building, fire and safety regulations. The front of the boxes, constructed from reinforced concrete, were covered with wood for acoustical reasons (the acoustics of this Vienna opera house is of unequalled brilliance). The number of access doors to the hall was increased and handicapped access improved. Some of the upper level seats with obstructed view were equipped with lights for reading. The traditional red-gold-ivory colours of the auditorium were maintained, but the sumptuous interior was replaced by a timeless classic design. Paintings, reliefs, and columns no longer decorate the auditorium and for safety reasons the large centre chandelier was replaced by a lighting wreath made from crystal. This lighting fixture weighs 3,000 kilograms and contains 1,100 light bulbs. This fixture has a diameter of 7 meters, is 5 meters high and has access for a lighting technician to carry our maintenance work on the lighting wreath.
Prof. Rudolf Eisenmenger designed the so called iron curtain which separates the auditorium from the stage. It displays a scene from Gluck’s opera ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’. In early 1998 the firm Museum in Progress was entrusted with the creation of a series of 5 large, temporary paintings for the Staatsoper —one for each season. The realization and attaching of the pictures takes place using a specially developed process so that both the Eisenmenger picture, as well as the new work, are guaranteed to be conserved in optimal condition. With the creation of an exhibition room in the Wiener Staatsoper this historical building assumes its responsibility towards contemporary artistic developments.
Every evening the orchestra pit accommodates the musicians of possibly the world’s best known ensemble. The Weiner Philharmoniker orchestra members are recruited from the members of the Staatsoper orchestra. The orchestra pit is 123 m2 can hold around 110 musicians. It is fitted with an adjustable floor so that the height can be varied. The purpose of this is to achieve acoustical effects and to make possible the use of the front stage when fewer musicians are needed in the orchestra pit.
The entire building is fitted with a seemingly old-fashioned, but effective climate control. Fresh air from the nearby city park is sucked in through an underground tunnel. In winter the air is warmed and in the warmer seasons the air is blown over ice blocks (which are incidentally made in the House) thereby cooling the air. The opera like the Burgtheater, is district heated.
Three iron curtains serve as security in case of fire: the main curtain which divides the stage from the auditorium and two further curtains which can be closed on the side and back stages. Above all the construction of the new part of the house was done with the utmost safety in mind: the former wood ceiling was replaced by one made from reinforced concrete. Instead of the former slate roof with wooden shingles in between there is now a fire, water and windproof copper skin—thereby finally fulfilling a wish of the architect van der Nüll—on a thin reinforced concrete shell. On the roof a public terrace was created, which serves not only an additional escape route but also as an ideal interval space for the warmer times of the year. Since September 1999 this large terrace accommodates the Mobilkom tent for children—a theatre on top of a theatre.
The Gustav Mahler Hall
The Staatsoper interval halls frame the main stairwell with an 120 meter long necklace of adjoining rooms. Right of the stairwell is the room known as the Gustav Mahler Hall, which was called the Gobelin Hall until May 1997 because the walls were decorated with Gobelin tapestries designed by Rudolf Eisenmenger showing motifs from Mozart’s MAGIC FLUTE. Twenty employees from the now defunct Vienna Gobelin tapestry manufacturer worked for six years to make the tapestries with their 13,000 colour nuances. Until 1944 the Director’s offices were lodged in this room and all of the Directors from Dingelstedt to Karl Böhm had their office here. 100 years after Gustav Mahler’s conducting debut at the court opera (11 May 1897), which was followed shortly after by his time as General Director, this room was re-named after him. A portrait of the artist by R.B. Kitaj, which hung in Mahler’s office, now marks the place where his office was once found.
Foyer and Loggia
Through an opening in the wall the Gustav Mahler Hall is linked to the original remaining foyer (in earlier times called the ‘Promenade Hall’). Sixteen oil paintings after sketches by Moritz von Schwind explain why this magnificent hall has the nick-name ‘Schwindfoyer’. The paintings portray once well known, but today hardly ever performed, works from the operatic repertoire as well as one concert piece: "The Free-Shooter" (Carl Maria von Weber), "The Barber of Seville" (Gioachino Rossini), "The Water Carrier" (Luigi Cherubini), "The White Lady" (François-Adrien Boieldieu), "Hans Heiling" (Heinrich Marschner), "The Vestal Virgin" (Gaspare Spontini), "Jessonda" (Louis Spohr), "Domestic Warfare" (Franz Schubert), "Armide" (Christoph Willibald Gluck), "The Magic Flute" (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), "Fidelio" (Ludwig van Beethoven), "Doctor and Apothecary" (Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf) Against the wishes of the committee, Schwind asserted that Bellini’s "Norma" should not be included. "Les Huguenots" (Giacomo Meyerbeer) and, as outsider, Joseph Haydn’s oratorio "The Creation".
Under each painting is the bust of the corresponding composer. The ceiling is decorated with two paintings "Battle of the Wreath" and "Victory" by Friedrich Sturm (he also created the twelve flower decorations on the walls). Medallions of the Empress Maria Theresia and the Emperor Leopold I, who contributed several notable works he composed himself to the young art form, can be seen over each of the marble fireplaces. In addition the busts of some significant Staatsoper General Directors are found: Gustav Mahler (by Auguste Rodin), Richard Strauss (by Hugo Lederer), Clemens Krauss (by K. Piettier), Herbert von Karajan (by Milos Borc) and Karl Böhm (by N. Tregor). The rooms linking the Hall, the Marble Hall as well as the Gustav Mahler Hall contain busts respectively of Gaetano Donizetti (who for a short time held the post of Wiener Kammerkapellmeister) and Richard Wagner. In the Wagner Salon a bust of the longtime house conductor Josef Krips can be seen. Beside the Schwindfoyer is the Marble Hall, which also serves as an interval room. It was created by the architects Prossinger and Cevela from the destroyed Emperor’s Hall and the former smoking salon. The marble inlay work by Heinz Leinfellner portrays scenes from theatre life backstage.
The Stage House
After the war the stage house was reconstructed on the original foundation walls. Workshops (such as the paint shop, set workshop, costume shop, hat and shoe shop as well as the costume store) which were formerly located in the House were moved next door to the Austrian National Theatres building (Hanuschgasse 1). The opera building is reached through an underground tunnel, through which the necessary costumes are transported daily without coming into contact with traffic. In the stage house the necessary space for rehearsal rooms was created, of which there had been a severe shortage. In addition, a canteen was needed and all the various management offices and administration offices. The majority of the rooms, including the artists’ dressing rooms, are equipped with loud speakers and video monitors which allow the action on stage to be followed.
Refurbishment
In the summer months of 1991 to 1993, as well as during a longer period from July to December 1994, the Wiener Staatsoper was substantially refurbished—on schedule and in record time. The principal work was the refurbishment of the stage machinery.
Brought up to the most modern technical standards, the hydraulic lifts and the electronic fly machinery allow and even more precise and flawless performance. The electrical supply, which came formerly from the Hofburg, was entrusted to two transformer stations. While all of these features, as well as the new heating, fire and safety systems, are invisible to the public there were also renovations to the auditorium such as refurbishment of the paint and the replacement of the box seats.
"Eberhard Waechter" Rehearsal Room
In addition, during this time an until then unused room under the roof was transformed into a new rehearsal room. Acoustically fitted out so that it can be used not only for stage rehearsals but also for orchestra rehearsals, this nearly 400 m2 hall (with side rooms around 700 m2) was officially opened by Director Ioan Holender on 1 September 1995. Its name, "Eberhard Waechter Rehearsal Room" is in memory of the deceased singer and Staatsoper General Director.
Other Rehearsal Rooms
Beside this rehearsal room the Staatsoper has three rooms for ensemble rehearsals with chorus and orchestra, one rehearsal room 26 X 14 m in size, and an organ hall on the 6th floor. This room not only has a rehearsal function: its name comes from the large organ with 2,500 pipes (the Staatsoper is the only opera house in the world with such a large pipe organ) whose sound can be transmitted to the auditorium when needed. Other acoustical effects can also be transmitted ‘live’ from the organ room, for example the sound of hammering on the anvils in Wagner’s Rheingold. Furthermore the Staatsoper has at its disposal ten sound-proof soloist practice rooms as well as one large and one small ballet rehearsal room.
General information about the history of the Wiener Staatsoper
Approximately 50 operas and 20 ballets are offered in the repertoire every season, which runs from 1 September to 30 June. It is not, however, the number which is important (although it is not equaled by any other opera house in the world) rather the variety offered by this House and all at the highest levels of artistry. An artistic corner stone of the house is the permanently engaged ensemble of singers, always complemented by international guest singers. A great number of world stars have come from among the members of the Wiener Staatsoper ensemble. General Director Ioan Holender has discovered for the Wiener Staatsoper, and thereby for the international music world, a large number of young singers such as Natalie Dessay Barbara Frittoli, Angela Gheorghiu, Vesselina Kasarova, Angelika Kirchschlager, Andrea Rost, Michael Schade, Bo Skovhus, Bryn Terfel and Ramón Vargas.
A further fact: the members of the Wiener Philhamoniker orchestra are recruited from the Wiener Staatsoper orchestra. It can be said in Vienna and elsewhere without false modesty that this world renowned orchestra is the best opera orchestra in the world. Back stage over 250 technical employees work from early in the morning though the night in order to prepare the daily change of performance.
The Wiener Staatsoper is the epitome of Austrian musical tradition and as a result the symbol for this relatively small, although disproportionately culturally present nation. This reputation was not least built through guest appearances overseas which have all the allure of a state visit. The first tour abroad (to France in 1947) caused a Parisian critic to write: ‘How rich is this poor Austria’. During the tour to Japan in 1994, overall the fourth guest appearance by the Staatsoper, performances were given of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO and BORIS GODUNOW under Claudio Abbado, DER ROSENKAVALIER under Carlos Kleiber as well as DIE FLEDERMAUS under Ulf Schirmer in Tokyo.
In addition, guest appearances in Ravenna in July 1996 of COSÌ FAN TUTTE under Riccardo Muti and the most recent tour in the autumn of 2000, once again to Japan, with three productions in total (ARIADNE AUF NAXOS: with Edita Gruberova as Zerbinetta and Agnes Baltsa as Komoponist under Giuseppe Sinopoli; DIE LUSTIGE WITWE: with Thomas Hampson as Danilo and Angelika Kirchschlager as Valencienne under Jun Märkl; LINDA DI CHAMOUNIX: with Edita Gruberova as Linda and Thomas Hampson as Antonio under Bruno Campanella) confirmed the international ambassadorial role of the Staatsoper.
132 Years of the House on the Ring
The tradition of Viennese opera goes back over three and a half centuries to the time of the early Baroque. Emperor Franz Joseph I decreed in December 1857 that the old city walls and fortifications around the Viennese inner city should be torn down and the Ringstrasse, a wide boulevard with new purpose built buildings for culture and politics, should take its place. Also the two Court theatres (one drama and one music theatre) were to find a new home on the Ring. For the Court opera theatre a prominent place was chosen in the immediate area of the former Kärtnertortheater. This popular opera theatre built in 1709 was torn down due to its being too cramped.
In its place a new opera house was built designed by the Viennese architect August von Sicardsburg with interior decoration conceived by Eduard van der Nüll. But other well known artists also made contributions: one has only to think of Moritz von Schwind who painted the frescos in the foyer and the well-known Magic Flute cycle in the loggia. The two architects would not live to see the opening of ‘their’ opera house: the sensitive van der Nüll committed suicide after the Viennese characterized his house as tasteless and his friend Sicardsburg died shortly afterwards from a stroke.
132 Years of the House on the Ring
1869 - 1955
On the 25th of May 1869 the house was officially opened with a performance of Mozart’s DON JUAN in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph, the sovereign landlord, and Empress Elisabeth. As a result of the artistic charisma of the first General Directors, Franz von Dingelstedt, Johann Herbeck, Franz Jauner and Wilhelm Jahn the building grew in popularity. The first summit for Viennese opera was reached under the direction of Gustav Mahler, who completely revitalized the obsolete performance system, strengthened the precision and spirit of the ensemble and brought in important visual artists (among them Alfred Roller) to create the new stage aesthetic.
During his ten-year long tenure (from 1897 to 1907) Gustav Mahler—still omnipresent on the eve of the 20th century in the concert houses of the world as the most important composer of symphonic work—set about building the Wagner repertoire, renewing Mozart’s operas and Beethoven’s FIDELIO, while maintaining the association with Verdi and cultivating one with Richard Strauss. Austrian composers were promoted (Hugo Wolf) and the Court opera was opened to modern European works. Beside the classics from the Italian repertoire, Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss (himself General Director of the House from 1919 to 1924) are the mainstays of the Wiener Staatsoper repertoire.
Modern works always had their place as well: during the 20s and 30s the Viennese were witness to the first performances of Krenek’s JONNY SPIELT AUF, Hindemith’s CARDILLAC, Korngold’s WUNDER DER HELIANE and Berg’s WOZZECK (under Director Clemens Krauss). This tradition was interrupted when the National Socialists came to power and after the devastating bombing on the 12th of March 1945, which extensively demolished the Ring, the future of the art form itself was in doubt.
The Viennese, who during the war preserved a lively cultural life, were deeply shocked to see the symbol of Austrian musical life in rubble and ashes. But the spirit of the opera was not destroyed. Already on the 1st May 1945 the ‘Staatsoper at the Volksoper’ had opened with a splendid performance of Mozart’s THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, and on 6th October 1945 Beethoven’s FIDELIO re-opened the quickly restored Theater an der Wien. Thus for ten years while the original house was rebuilt at great cost there were two alternative performance locations.
Already by the 24th May 1945 the State Secretary for Public Works, Julius Raab, had proclaimed that the Wiener Staatsoper would be rebuilt and he put the job in the hands of Austrian architects Erich Boltenstern and Otto Prossinger. Only the main façade, the celebratory stairway, and the Schwindfoyer remained after the bombing. With a new auditorium and the most modern technical equipment, the Staatsoper was re-opened with a performance of Beethoven’s FIDELIO under Karl Böhm on the 5th of November 1955. The opening celebrations were broadcast on Austrian television and were perceived in rest of the whole world as a sign of life of the new republic.
From 1955 to 1992
The saying that the Wiener Staatsoper will survive every General Director is ascribed to Egon Seefehlner, who himself was responsible for the well being of the House for many years. But he, and the thirty-one other General Directors of the Wiener Staatsoper since 1869, all of them great artists or artistic administrators, have defined the profile of this world-renowned institution (See 1869 to 1955).
After World War II came the first the conductor-General Directors: Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan—the latter insisted on being called Artistic Director and opened the ensemble to the international singers market. He introduced the practice of operas being sung in the original language and set in motion plans for co-productions with foreign companies which were realised only after his tenure had ended.
Egon Hilbert, Heinrich Reif-Gintl, Rudolf Gamsjäger followed as General Directors as well as the aforementioned Egon Seefehlner who was for a second time named as General Director after the resignation of his successor Lorne Mazel. Klaus Helmut Drese (Staatsooper General Director from 1986 to 1991) had at his side an internationally recognized Music Director in the person of Claudio Abaddo. In the early 90s the former star baritone Eberhard Waechter, at that time General Director of the Volksoper, was appointed. He was only to be General Director for seven months.
The era of Ioan Holender (since 1992)
Following Waechter’s tragic death in March 1992, the General Secretary named Ioan Holender, former singer and owner of a singers agency, to take up the post until the end of 2010, and carry on the tradition of perhaps the best known opera institution in the world.
His programming choices cover a broad repertoire with the pillars being works by Mozart, Wagner, Verdi and Strauss along side many first performances for the House: Bellini’s I PURITANI (1993/94), Massenet’s HÉRODIADE (1994/95), Verdi’s JÉRUSALEM and Britten’s PETER GRIMES (1995/96), Verdi’s STIFFELIO and Enescu’s OEDIPE (1996/97), Rossini’s GUILLAUME TELL and Lehár’s operetta THE MERRY WIDOW (1998/99) as well as Schönberg’s DIE JAKOBSLEITER, Hiller’s PETER PAN, Donizetti’s ROBERTO DEVEREUX, Britten’s BILLY BUDD and Verdi’s NABUCCO (2000/01). A particular success of the recent past was the re-discovery of Fromental Halévy’s Grand Opéra LA JUIVE (1999). Two world premieres were included in the 1995 season; Adriana Hölszky’s DIE WÄNDE (A co-production with the Wiener Festwochen at the Theater an der Wien) and Alfred Schnittke’s GESUALDO. In addition, on 15 June 2002 a further work commissioned by the Wiener Staatsoper, DER RIESE VOM STEINFELD (Music: Friedrich Cerha, Libretto: Peter Turrini), had its world premiere to great acclaim.
In the last few years, always on the 18th of May, the anniversary of the death of Gustav Mahler, a concert is given by the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Staatsoper. This concert was conducted in 1995 by Seiji Ozawa (who has been Music Director since the 2002/2003 season) Carlo Maria Giulini (1996), Riccardo Muti (1997), Lorin Maazel (1998), Zubin Mehta (1999), Giuseppe Sinopoli (2000) und Riccardo Muti (2001).
In the Theater an der Wien a triumphal new production of Mozart’s COSÍ FAN TUTTE was given. This Mozart-cycle under Muti was continued with DON GIOVANNI in 1999 and LE NOZZE DI FIGARO in 2001.
On the 27th of April 1995, fifty years after the proclamation of an independent Austria, a concert was given entitled ‘A House commemorates after 50 Years’ in which artists and workers of the Wiener Staatsoper who fell victim to the National Socialist dictatorship between 1938 and 1945, and during this time could not work in the house, were remembered.
The ‘Verdi Year’ in 2001 was extensively celebrated at the Wiener Staatsoper. The beginning was marked by Verdi Weeks commemorating the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death. From the 8th to the 31st of January not less than a dozen of the master’s works were performed in succession. No other opera house in the world could offer such a large number of Giuseppe Verdi’s operas in such a short period.
And now onto my opera experience....finally:
Me and the flatties were on line for a couple of hours before we got our tickets. Since they were for standing room only and on the opera level, they only cost 3,50 Euro. We might have been able to get seats, but they would have been 9 Euro and people with season tickets would have had to come turn in their tickets for us to use them. Some other people from IES got those seats and they were in the fifth row. Once we found our standing areas, we had to check our coats. But first we tied something to the lower bar in front of us to save our spots. I never wear a scarf (I need to start, it's what people do in Vienna) but the flatties on either side of me had theirs, so I figured nobody would take that spot. Anyway, we checked our coats and bags and walked around a bit before going to our places.
The opera started at 7:00 and lasted until 10:15 with a 15 minute intermission. It was called Cosi fan tutte. The synopsis that follows is from wikipedia, so take it as you will. Either way, it was really funny and cute and I thought it was really well done. My favorite character was the maid because her voice wasn't quite as high as the other female leads and she was funny.
Mozart and Da Ponte took as a theme "fiancée swapping" which dates back to the 13th century, with notable earlier versions being those of Boccaccio's Decameron and Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. Elements from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew are also present. It also incorporates elements of the myth of Procris as found in Ovid.
- Place, Naples.
- Time, the 18th century.
Act I. In a coffee shop, Ferrando and Guglielmo (two officers) claim that their brides (Dorabella and Fiordiligi, respectively) will be eternally faithful. Don Alfonso joins the discussion and lays a wager with the two officers, claiming he can prove in a day's time that these two women (like all women) are fickle. The wager is accepted: the two officers will pretend to have been called off to war; soon thereafter they shall return in disguise and attempt to seduce each other's lover. The scene shifts to the two women (they are sisters) who are praising their men. Alfonso arrives to announce the bad news: the officers have been called off to war. Ferrando and Guglielmo arrive, brokenhearted, and bid farewell (quintet: Sento, o Dio, che questo piedo è restio—"I feel, oh God, that my foot is reluctant"). As the boat with the men sails off to sea, Alfonso and the sisters wish them safe travel (trio: Soave sia il vento—"May the wind be gentle"), then Alfonso, left alone, rails against the fickleness of women (arioso: Oh, poverini, per femmina giocar cento zecchini?—"Oh, poor little ones, to wager 100 sequins on a woman").
The scene shifts to a room in the sisters' home. Despina, their maid, arrives and asks what is wrong. Dorabella bemoans the torment of having been left alone (aria: Smanie implacabili—"Torments implacable"). Despina mocks the sisters, advising them to consider new lovers over old lovers (aria: In uomini, in soldati, sperare fedeltá?—"In men, in soldiers, you hope for faithfulness?"). After they depart, Alfonso arrives upon the scene. He fears Despina will recognize the men through their disguises, so he bribes her into helping him win the bet. The two men then arrive, dressed as mustachioed Albanians. The sisters enter and are alarmed by the presence of strange men in their home. The Albanians attempt to win over the sisters, Guglielmo going so far as to point out all of his manly attributes (aria: Non siate ritrosi—"Don't be shy"), but to no avail (aria: Come Scoglio—"Like a rock"). Ferrando, left alone and sensing victory, praises his love (aria: Un aura amorosa—"A loving breath").
The scene shifts to a garden, with the sisters still pining. But Despina has asked Don Alfonso to let her take over the seduction plan—and suddenly, the Albanians burst in the scene and threaten to poison themselves if they are not allowed the chance to woo the sisters. As Alfonso tries to calm them, they drink the poison and pass out. Soon thereafter, a doctor arrives on the scene (Despina in disguise), who, through use of a large magnet (see animal magnetism), is able to revive the Albanians. The revived men, hallucinating, demand a kiss of the goddesses who stand before them. The sisters refuse, even as Alfonso and the doctor (Despina) urge them to acquiesce.
Act II. The act opens in the sisters' bedroom, with Despina urging them to succumb to the Albanians' overtures (aria: Una donna a quindici anni—"A fifteen year old woman"). After she leaves, Dorabella confesses to Fiordiligi that she is tempted. Fiordiligi remains steadfast, however (duet: Prenderó quel brunettino"—"You take the darker one").
The scene shifts to the garden, where Dorabella and the disguised Guglielmo pair off, as do the other two. The conversation is haltingly uncomfortable, and Ferrando departs with Fiodiligi. Now alone, Guglielmo attempts to woo Dorabella. She does not resist strongly, and soon she has given him a medallion (with Ferrando's portrait inside) in exchange for a heart-shaped locket (duet: Il core vi dono—"I give you my heart"). Ferrando is less successful with Fiordiligi (Ferrando's aria: Ah, lo veggio—"Ah, I see it," and Fiordiligi's aria: Per pietá, ben mio, perdona—"Please, my beloved, forgive"), so he is enraged when he later finds out from Guglielmo that the medallion with his portrait has been so quickly given away to a new lover. Guglielmo at first sympathises with Ferrando (aria: Donne mie, la fate a tanti—"My ladies, you do it to so many") but then gloats, because his betrothed is faithful.
The scene changes to the sister's room, where Dorabella admits her indiscretion to Fiordiligi (É amore un ladroncello—"Is love a little thief"). Fiordiligi, upset by this development, decides to go to the army and find her betrothed. Before she can leave, though, Ferrando arrives and continues his attempted seduction. Fiordiligi finally succumbs and falls into his arms (duet: Tra gli amplessi—"In the embraces"). Guglielmo is distraught while Ferrando turns Guglielmo's earlier gloating back on him. Alfonso, winner of the wager, tells the men to forgive their fiancées. After all: Cosi fan tutte—"All women are like that."
The final scene begins as a double wedding for the sisters and their Albanian grooms. Despina, in disguise as a notary, presents the marriage contract, which all sign. Directly thereafter, military music is heard in the distance, indicating the return of the officers. Alfonso confirms the sisters' fears: Ferrando and Guglielmo are on their way to the house. The Albanians hurry off to hide (actually, to change out of their disguises). They return as the officers, professing their love. Alfonso drops the marriage contract in front of the officers, and, when they read it, they become enraged. They then depart and return moments later, half in Albanian disguise, half as officers. Despina has been revealed to be the notary, and the sisters realize they have been duped. All is ultimately forgiven, as the entire group praises the ability to accept life's unavoidable good times and bad times.
(Plot taken from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.)
The opera experience was a lot of fun, but after the first half hour, my feet were KILLING me. So doing what any sane female would do, I took my shoes off. After the first act, we went out to walk around and get the water bottles out of our bags. When we tried to sit down on the floor, one of the women that worked there came up to us and said, "Steh auf, bitte. Ihr seit an der Oper." (Stand up please. You're at the Opera.) She wasn't rude about it or anything, but it sounded like she was almost pleading with us. We laughed about it and stood up, and luckily, they had a couch sort of thing in a different area that we took turns sitting on. When we went back inside, the shoes came off again. What can I say? It was a lot more comfortable than feeling like I should cut my little toes off.
Afterwards, the girls and I went home and the boys went out to a couple of bars. We got back around 10:45, and chilled out for a while. Later on, we got a bit more social, just before bed. Since I'm a dork and I didn't have class until 12:30 the next day, I skipped doing my homework to talk to people online.
Und dass ist alles, Leute! Maybe later I'll put up something about today, which was a lot more low-key.
Liebe,
Amanda
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