State Theater Mainz

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State Theater Mainz
State Theater Mainz
location
Address: Gutenbergplatz 7, 55116 Mainz
City: Mainz
Coordinates: 49 ° 59 '58 "  N , 8 ° 16' 16"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 59 '58 "  N , 8 ° 16' 16"  E
Architecture and history
Construction time: 1829-1833
Architect: Georg Moller
Internet presence:
Website: State Theater Mainz

The Mainz State Theater was called the Mainz City Theater until 1989 and was built by Georg Moller between 1829 and 1833 .

development

The development of the Mainz State Theater from the former Roman stage theater, the largest north of the Alps, to the renovated Mollerbau extends over more than 2000 years.

The Mainz State Theater is a multi-branch house. It combines music theater, drama and dance under one roof. In addition to the three main sections, the Mainz State Theater also shows concerts and plays for children and young people. The three venues - Large House, Small House and the U17 studio stage are located in the center of the city.

architecture

Establishment

Side view of the State Theater after the renovation in 2001
Mollerbau before the renovation in 1910

The Mainz State Theater on Gutenbergplatz was built between 1829 and 1833 by the Darmstadt court architect Georg Moller. The construction had been demanded for decades by the bourgeoisie of the city of Mainz, cost around 280,000 guilders (the city's budget at that time was 300,000 guilders) and replaced the former electoral stables on the Große Bleiche as a theater space. When the building was opened, the Grand Ducal National Theater in Mainz was renamed the Mainz City Theater.

For the first time, the theater building, based on the Colosseum in Rome, represented the semicircle of the auditorium towards the outside. This was a clear departure from the previous practice of erecting theaters square and symmetrical in the style of ancient temples. The new design had a positive effect on visibility. However, the theater did not have a larger foyer in which the audience could have spent the breaks between performances. One of these was built in front of the Moller building in 1910, but the characteristic curve of the front facade was lost. The theater was partially destroyed and unplayable by the air raids on Mainz . The French administration of the city improved the situation. The French High Commissioner in Germany, André François-Poncet , suggested the reconstruction of the theater in 1949 and also supported the implementation of this cultural goal. The Mainz senior building officer Richard Jörg directed the reconstruction of the destroyed city theater from 1949 to 1951. The ceremonial reopening took place on November 24, 1951 and was designed by Serge Lifar with the Paris Opera Ballet in the presence of François-Poncet.

Expansion and renovation 1989–2001

In 1989 the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the city of Mainz signed a contract to establish the Mainz State Theater GmbH, and the Mainz City Theater was renamed the Mainz State Theater. In 1997 the Mainz theater opened a second venue, the Little House, which has around 400 seats. This is located as a supposedly separate building directly behind the Big House, but is also connected to the Big House underground in addition to two glass bridges. After the opening of the Little House, the Big House was completely renovated between 1998 and 2001. The old building was completely gutted, so that only the outer walls and the listed façades remained. During the construction work, the large house was housed in the Phönixhalle , a former factory hall that today serves as a concert and musical hall. When the Great House, which could hold around 1,000 spectators, was reopened in 2001, the Mainz State Theater was one of the most modern theaters ever. In addition, a glass dome was built on the roof of the Great House, which housed a restaurant until 2009. The studio stage Glashaus (formerly Deck 3) with 90 and 190 seats has been located there since the 2012/2013 season.

Sculpture “Der Flug” (1988) by Rainer Fetting on the small house

Directors (selection)

Theater operations

The repertoire of the Mainz State Theater includes opera with concerts, dance and drama. In addition, a broad program for children and young people (justmainz) is offered.

play

Dealing with the region characterizes the program as well as great classics, unusual projects and contemporary works. At the center of the artistic engagement with topics and materials is always the question of the relation to the now: What does that concern us today?

The play is predestined for the explicit substantive examination of the conditions in which we live and which we shape - and this claim can be seen in contemporary plays and world premieres such as "Die before you die", "Burns", "Ramstein Airbase - Game of Drones "," Head Wages "," Water by the spoonful "or" Desire "just as validly as in modern classics such as" Ein Volksfeind "," Die Ratten "," Die Physiker "or" Nathan the Wise "and in the big ones classic fabrics like "Orestes" or "Hamlet".

dance

Dance at the Mainz State Theater has been contemporary since the 2014/15 season. The cooperation with changing renowned choreographers from all over the world and the strong international network attract outstanding and versatile dancers to the ensemble of tanzmainz on the Rhine. Works such as "Plafona Now" and "Soul Chain" by the famous choreographer Sharon Eyal, the double evening "Magma", the second part of which "Fall Seven Times" was awarded the FAUST Prize by Guy Nader and Maria Campos in 2017, or the interdisciplinary production "Weddings" in the large house ensured high artistic recognition as well as a large number of visitors. Not least because of the tanzmainz festival, which was celebrated in front of a sold out house in 2015 and 2017, Mainz has become a nationally perceived new attraction for dance fans. Honne Dohrmann is responsible for the program as curating dance director.

Before that, Martin Schläpfer and Pascal Touzeau were ballet directors. Pascal Touzeau repeatedly brought well-known choreographers to Mainz, since 2009 works by Rafael Bonachela, Marc Spradling, Jacopo Godani, Georg Reischl, Didy Veldman, Jiři Kylián and William Forsythe have been on view. In addition to his own work, Martin Schläpfer's program included a broad repertoire of ballets by Hans van Manen, Nils Christe, Christopher Bruce, Paul Lightfoot / Sol León and Twyla Tharp, as well as groundbreaking works of the 20th century by George Balanchine, Kurt Jooss and Antony Tudor. In addition, younger artists such as Regina van Berkel, Philipp Egli, Nick Hobbs, Eric Oberdorff, Gisela Rocha and Stijn Celis created for ballettmainz.

Musical theater

The Mainz music theater offers a great variety. In addition to operas, operettas and musicals of various musical styles, concerts of various characters are also offered. The musical theater in Mainz has historically developed since 1760. In that year, the then Mainz theater director, Konrad Ackermann, wanted to put an end to the constant change of shacks and traveling stages and built a wooden theater on the ball court. The first opera performances in Mainz took place here. In 1763 the new elector Emmerich Josef von Breidenbach also ended this temporary arrangement. “Because the theater can help improve morals”, the elector decided to build the first permanent theater and also made his personal orchestra, the Mainz court orchestra, available for opera performances.

Productions such as "Armide", "Mathis der Maler", "Norma" or "Médée" are examples of musical theater, among many others, that combine social debate with the highest aesthetic and musical standards. Lydia Steier's production of "Perelà" was nominated for the 2015 DER FAUST theater award. In addition to the permanent soloist ensemble, there is the Young Ensemble at the Mainz State Theater, which offers qualified singing students the opportunity to gain stage experience under professional conditions.

General music directors since 1936

Concerts

The concert program of the Mainz State Theater is organized by the Mainz Philharmonic State Orchestra , which has developed into one of the most important orchestras in the entire Rhine-Main-Neckar region. Hermann Bäumer has been chief conductor and general music director of the Mainz State Theater since the 2011/2012 season . He stood u. a. at the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Oslo Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and was a guest at festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival and the Heidelberg Spring. Jan-Claudius Hübsch is responsible as managing director, orchestra director is Wolfram Schätz.

The orchestra presents nine symphony concerts on two evenings each season in the Great House. The demanding programs mostly combine modern and classical works, known with unknown repertoire. Special concerts complement the symphonic concerts in the Great House, which have been accompanied by chamber music matinees in the orchestra hall for many years. With four concerts for young people per season and several children's concerts, the State Orchestra is also aimed at young listeners and their parents as well as school classes. For most children and youth concerts, a sound workshop takes place beforehand in the foyer of the respective hall, where children can try out instruments under the guidance of orchestral musicians.

The Young Ensemble Philharmonie, a cooperation project between the Philharmonic State Orchestra Mainz and the University of Music, gives orchestra students an early insight into professional practice. Since the 2007/2008 winter semester, selected students have been able to take part in rehearsals and performances of works from the fields of concerts, music theater and ballet. In addition to the work-oriented work, the program also includes audition training and supervision by the corresponding vocal groups of the Philharmonic State Orchestra. The qualified students are usually admitted to the Junge Ensemble Philharmonie for one season.

Young theater

The young state theater justmainz plays a central role in the house's program - all branches produce plays for children and young people, all ensemble members are also on stage with great enthusiasm for justmainz. A program with current social relevance - and at the same time high identifying potential - will also be designed for the young audience. Pieces such as "When my father became a bush", "Spinnerling" (invited to the Schäxpir Festival Linz), "Deportation Cast", "Anders" and "The Little One and the Beast" prove this. Cultural education and participation are very important in the Mainz State Theater through a varied program for all age groups, through close cooperation with schools and kindergartens as well as through numerous theater-educational offers with a lot of fun in play. In the still young genre of contemporary children's music theater, the opera section of the Staatstheater sets important accents with its own composition commissions such as for "Hamed und Sherifa" and "Zweieinander" (the only German production invited to the FRATZ Festival Berlin).

Black theater

From 1975 to 1984 there was a separate division for Black Theater with the Ensemble des Velvets Theater , which today operates its own house in Wiesbaden.

Other offers

childcare

On Sunday afternoons, there are regular performances for which childcare is offered (2 p.m., Large House). In addition to the supervision, the Institute for Elementary Music Education also offers a one-hour musical and creative children's program.

Mardi Gras spokes

As a homage to the Mainz Carnival , a carnival bogus is performed on each of the “main holidays of the fifth season”, the actors of which are provided by the Mainz corporations. This tradition was established by the Mainz Carneval Association on Shrove Sunday 1838 .

Costume sales

Traditionally, two weeks before the carnival on a Saturday from 11:11 in the foyer of the Little House in served basis costumes, such as ballet costumes, velvet, neoprene and chiffon dresses, Cossack shirts, costumes and sailor suits , linen coats for cowboy outfits, historical boleros , Magic coats of various kinds, liveries , capes and vests , but also headgear and scraps of fabric, sold from the theater's fund to increase storage capacity again.

Christmas fairy tale

The Christmas fairy tale is performed every year at Christmas time and attracts both children and adults to the Mainz State Theater.

Guided tours and introductions

In addition to theater tours, the Mainz State Theater also offers other supporting events related to the program: Many productions are illuminated with audience discussions , public rehearsals and introductions to plays .

TV shows

The policy - talk show " Quergefragt " of the SWR television was recorded until 2007 at the State Theater Mainz. From January 2016 the program “ Spätschicht - Die Comedy Bühne ” will be recorded there.

financing

The city of Mainz and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate contribute the largest share of the financing of the theater operations, each with 11 million euros annually as an “expense allowance”. In addition, the Society of Friends of the Mainzer Theater e. V., the Mainz Theater Culture Foundation and the Friends of Ballet Mainz e. V. solicited donations.

Cooperation with the universities

There is extensive cooperation between the Mainz State Theater, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Mainz University of Applied Sciences . In addition to increased content-related cooperation, this includes a solidarity-based financing model (via the semester fee) between the theater and the respective student representatives, which enables every student to experience theater at no additional cost.

particularities

On November 21, 2015, 120 employees of the house sang the Ode to Joy , while the right-wing populist party Alternative für Deutschland held a rally in front of the State Theater on Gutenbergplatz under the motto “Against the asylum chaos”. Intendant Müller had invited all of the company's employees to attend. On a banner at the theater the Lessing quote was emblazoned: "Let everyone pursue his unbribed love free of prejudice!" (From Nathan the Wise ). The Mainz police were then forced to file charges against the artistic director of the State Theater, Markus A. Müller, on the suspicion of "grossly disrupting an approved assembly" under Section 21 VersG . "If you get an ad for it, then that's the way it is," he commented on the process. The criminal case asked the prosecutor Mainz a May 1, 2016 since Mueller was no intent to thwart the gathering to demonstrate. The administrative offense proceedings against him carried out by the city of Mainz were also discontinued.

In response to the events, the State Theater and the State Police Orchestra gave a benefit concert for diversity and tolerance and for the benefit of Mainz organizations that work for refugees on January 24, 2016.

literature

  • Günter Walz: The history of the theater in Mainz . Zabern-Verlag, Mainz 2004, ISBN 3-8053-3333-1
  • Susanne Armbruster: Georg Moller's theater building . In Mainz. Quarterly books for culture, politics, economy, history 4 (1981). Publishing house Dr. Hanns Krach Mainz, pp. 36-47, ISSN  0720-5945
  • Jochen Meyer: Theater building theories between art and science . gta-Verlag Zurich 1998, ISBN 3-7861-1764-0
  • Again in the Moller building 400 years of opera - theater - . In: Opera houses: Construction - Destruction - Reconstruction
  • Friedrich Schütz : The modern Mainz Carnival . In: Franz Dumont, Ferdinand Scherf, Friedrich Schütz (Hrsg.): Mainz - The history of the city . Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1998 (first edition, p. 811).
  • State Theater Mainz. The directorship of Matthias Frontheim 2006–2014 . Theater der Zeit, Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-943881-73-8 .
  • Sascha M. Salzig: From bourgeois representation to event culture. The architecture of Georg Moller's city theater in Mainz undergoes cultural and historical change . Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg 2016, ISBN 9783959760119 .

Web links

Commons : Staatstheater Mainz  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Costume sale of the State Theater on February 15 at 11.11 a.m. on sensor-magazin.de from February 12, 2014
  2. ↑ AfD rally in Mainz - state theater drowns out AfD with Beethoven - police report Süddeutsche Zeitung (online) from November 24, 2015
  3. ↑ StA Mainz discontinues proceedings - Beethoven protest against AfD demonstration not punishable. In: Legal Tribune Online . Retrieved May 27, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Beethoven protest of the State Theater against AfD rally in Mainz: proceedings stopped. Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Police Orchestra and State Theater Rhineland-Palatinate: Making music for tolerance and diversity. In: Deutschlandfunk . Retrieved May 28, 2018 .
  6. ^ Benefit concert by the police orchestra and the Mainz State Theater. Retrieved May 27, 2018 .