Buda Pest Opera House

The Seat of Hungarian State Opera where Music is the Key Element Buda Pest Opera is one of the most famous buildings and tourist landmarks in this historical city. Glorifying its architecture and the possibility of attending an opera are two items that you may keep in mind if you visit Buda Pest. Music is a key element in the culture of Hungary. Most European cities show off opera houses proudly, such as the one in the Hungarian capital. The city dwellers took musical education very seriously and music played an important part in their culture and in their life in general. Location and History The Hungarian State Opera House is located on Andrassy Avenue in central Buda Pest. It was designed by a major nineteenth-century Hungarian architect, Miklos Ybl. The construction began in 1875 and was funded by the city’s municipality through the patronage of Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Opera House opened to the public on 27th September, 1884. On this day, the National Opera House opened with an initial capacity of 2,400 spectators and in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The nineteenth century was a productive period in Central Europe. Along with business, culture also took a step forward with the building of great opera houses that have survived till today. Examples are Staatsoper Wien (Vienna Opera House), Paris’s Palais Garnier and the Buda Pest Opera. The Budapest Opera House was built keeping the architecture of the Vienna Opera House in mind, but under orders from the King not to outdo that in size. Visiting groups had performed operas in Buda Pest from the early nineteenth century. Upon its completion, the opera section moved into the Hungarian Royal Opera House, with performances gaining an excellent reputation in its repertoire of about fifty operas with about one hundred and thirty annual performances. Hub for Reputed Artists Many important artists were guests here including the composer and conductor, Gustav Mahler. He was director in Budapest from 1888 to 1891. Later, Otto Klemperer was music director for three years from 1947 to 1949. In the nineteen seventies, the condition of the building pressed the Hungarian State to ask for a major renovation, which began in 1980 and lasted till 1984. The re- opening was held exactly a century after the original opening, on the 27 September 1984. The arrival of Gustav Mahler, as director of the opera, between 1888 and 1891, changed the direction of the theatre, which had until then suffered from financial difficulties and low quality performances. Under Mahler, the Budapest Opera House reached its first Golden Age. Architectural Style The Opera’s architect was Miklós Ybl, who also designed St. Stephen’s Basilica, among many other buildings and monuments. The Budapest Opera House is built in a Neo-Renaissance style with Baroque elements, in which paintings and sculpture play an important role. It is inspired by the Paris and Vienna opera houses that were built to glorify music. The decoration of the symmetrical façade followed a musical theme. In niches on either side of the main entrance, there are figures of Erkel and Liszt. These were sculpted by Alajos Strobl. The foyer has marble columns. The vaulted ceiling is covered in murals by Bertalan Szekely and Mor Than. They illustrate the nine Muses. Wrought-iron lamps light up the wide stone staircase and the main entrance. Going to the opera was a big social event in the nineteenth century. A huge and sweeping staircase was a key element of the opera house as it allowed ladies to show off their new gowns. Performances were closed down for the two World Wars, but fortunately the building itself escaped serious damage and so they were quickly able to resume after the wars were over. Since then, the opera house has undergone several revamping to modernise its space and reduce its capacity to about one thousand two hundred and fifty in the audience. Today, the opera house is also home to the Buda Pest Opera Ball, a society event that dates back to 1886.