The opera has been the site for cutting edge art for each particular Viennese époque, and has served demanding audiences since the 1800s. Composer Gustav Mahler is just one example of the many conductors, librettists and composers who have worked for the opera. During the so-called Golden Age of Mahler, some significant changes were made to the opera house, including new stage designs. The rich historical stage decors were replaced by plain stage sets, which were meant to be in accord with the modern Jugendstil. During Mahler’s time, another innovation was the dimming of lights during performances to bring out the evocative atmosphere of an operatic work.

Other famous conductors and directors of the Vienna State Opera have included Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanini, Antal Dorati, Herbert von Karajan, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Igor Strawinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Daniele Gatti and many others. Until the time of Karajan, Vienna had maintained a permanent operatic company, which prepared a number of premiers per season. The opera house, only on occasion, welcomed guest singers. However, of Karajan’s many innovations, one in particular was the priority of inviting singers to perform at his opera. The Vienna Staatsoper, moreover, became the home of the Vienna Philharmonic, whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the State Opera.

The Vienna State Opera building is a work of art in itself. From the imposing facade to further down with the loggia, which still displays the ‘Magic Flute’ cycle by Moritz von Schwind, this entire spectacle is topped with the two allegoric fountains by Josef Gasser. The building includes a larger structure, which contains the auditorium and its adjoining amenities, as well as a smaller front section that houses the rooms accessible to the public. The interiors, however, are equally opulent. The original foyer still bears the atmosphere of the old opera house, which was demolished by bombs in 1945, so does the stairway and tea salon restored to their previous grandeur.

The opera’s auditorium, entirely renovated after the events of World War II, is the work of Erich Boltenstern, while the chambers of the first level were entrusted to architects Otto Prossinger, Ceno Kosak and Felix Cevela. Boltenstern made continuous efforts to restore the structure to its initial appearance, but some changes were unavoidable. The hall’s original seating capacity of 2,881 had to be reduced; and while the auditorium’s original red and gilt decoration was retained, one feels that the opulence and excessive splendour has given way to more practical interiors. The numerous paintings and reliefs have been replaced, and the gigantic old chandelier, for safety reasons, has been changed for a much less impressive crystal wreath. The massive lightning structure has some 1,000 light bulbs.