Neue Oper Wien
Neue Oper Wien was founded in 1990. It specialised in modern music theatre, thus ending the almost complete absence thereof in Vienna and in Austria at the beginning of the 1990s. Since 1994, Neue Oper Wien has adhered to the uncompromising policy of programming only works of the 20th and 21st centuries. New discoveries as well as world and territorial premières are central to the company’s work. An additional aspect is the revival of modern opera repertoire that has disappeared from the stage over time.
The longstanding Viennese enthusiasm for works by Benjamin Britten was touched off by Neue Oper Wien, which mounted the first Austrian performance of “Billy Budd” in 1996. And the first staged presentation of Lachenmann’s “Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern” was realised by Neue Oper Wien in 2003 - this production was a sensational success and drew much international attention.
With neither its own venue nor a constant ensemble, Neue Oper Wien wishes to remain unburdened and flexible; its credo is not only to explore new worlds of sound, but also new spaces and locations. With the concept of seeking out venues according to the works to be performed, the spaces become part of the ensemble, the scenery is adapted closely to the space, and the acoustics of the new space are tried out and developed.
Under the leadership of Walter Kobéra, Neue Oper Wien demonstrates that innovation and audience acceptance are not mutually exclusive, and that “modern opera” and innovative stagings need not pose a “threat” to music lovers, but much rather give birth to intense discussion. Neue Oper Wien lives music theatre as a place to confront topical and social policy issues. The laboratory of “new music”, where the composer, librettist and producer work together closely, will be continued and developed further in the years to come.
The longstanding Viennese enthusiasm for works by Benjamin Britten was touched off by Neue Oper Wien, which mounted the first Austrian performance of “Billy Budd” in 1996. And the first staged presentation of Lachenmann’s “Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern” was realised by Neue Oper Wien in 2003 - this production was a sensational success and drew much international attention.
With neither its own venue nor a constant ensemble, Neue Oper Wien wishes to remain unburdened and flexible; its credo is not only to explore new worlds of sound, but also new spaces and locations. With the concept of seeking out venues according to the works to be performed, the spaces become part of the ensemble, the scenery is adapted closely to the space, and the acoustics of the new space are tried out and developed.
Under the leadership of Walter Kobéra, Neue Oper Wien demonstrates that innovation and audience acceptance are not mutually exclusive, and that “modern opera” and innovative stagings need not pose a “threat” to music lovers, but much rather give birth to intense discussion. Neue Oper Wien lives music theatre as a place to confront topical and social policy issues. The laboratory of “new music”, where the composer, librettist and producer work together closely, will be continued and developed further in the years to come.
