Almost a century after its opening, in 1842, the State Opera, under Gottfried Wilhelm Taubert, initiated the tradition of holding symphonic concerts. This year was also marked by the participation of the composer Felix Mendelssohn in several major symphonic productions. In 1821, the opera hosted the premiere of ‘Der Freischütz’ by Weber, while in the 1840s, it staged the first performance of Otto Nicolai’s ‘Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor’. However, after several decades of glamorous performances, the site suffered a severe blaze and had to be rebuilt. The new venue, following designs of architect Carl Ferdinand Langhans, was inaugurated with Meyerbeer’s opera ‘Ein Feldlager in Schlesien’. Towards the turn of the 20th Century, the opera had already established itself as a serious musical institution and had hosted premieres of such composers as Felix von Weingartner, Richard Strauss, and Leo Blech.

In 1918, following the events of World War I and the breakdown of the Empire, the opera started to operate under the name of Staatsoper unter den Linden, while its century-long partner, the Königliche Kapelle, was renamed Kapelle der Staatsoper. In the early 1920s, the site was significantly restored and the presence of world renowned composers such as Erich Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, Alexander Zemlinsky and Bruno Walter contributed to bringing back its glory. The opera held the 1925 premiere of Alban Berg’s ‘Wozzeck’. In 1928, the site also held the production of Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’, and welcomed a series of performances by Russian bass singer Feodor Chaliapin, as well as the famous Ballets Russes.

The late 1930s marked an increase in hostility towards Jewish composers and singers, and following the Nazi takeover, the opera lost many of its musicians, as well as the conductors Otto Klemperer and Fritz Busch. During the years 1939-45, the venue was run by Robert Heger, Herbert von Karajan and Johannes Schüler. Some of the more notable pieces performed during that period include the Karajan-conducted performance of Rudolf Wagner-Régeny’s ‘Die Bürger von Calais’ in 1938 and Richard Wagner’s ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’ in 1944. During that same year, the opera had to be closed, with its last performance being ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ by Mozart. Still, the Staatskapelle continued to operate on the premises.

In 1945, the State Opera suffered a severe demolition, and it was then that Herbert von Karajan conducted his last concert with the Staatskapelle. In 1961, with the building of the Berlin Wall, the site had a small but faithful audience and mainly performed classic and romantic pieces. After the reunion, the opera returned to its regular repertoires with a particular emphasis on Baroque opera. Some of the best pieces performed during that era were ‘Cleopatra e Cesare’, ‘Croesus’, ‘L'Opera seria’ and ‘Griselda’. In the early 1990s, the opera was renamed Staatsoper Unter den Linden and Daniel Barenboim was appointed its musical director.