Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater
Encyclopedia
The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is an opera house and theatre located in Lviv
, Ukraine
. The building was built between 1897 and 1900. The Lwów Opera was originally called the Grand Theatre until it was renamed in 1939 by the Soviet authorities.
An independent jury unhesitatingly chose the design by Zygmunt Gorgolewski
, a graduate of the Berlin Building Academy and the Director of the Lwów higher art-industrial school. Gorgolewski pleasantly surprised the jury by planning to locate the building in the centre of the city, although it was already densely built-up. In order to solve the space problem, he boldly proposed to enclose the Poltva River
underground, and instead of using a traditional foundation, use a solid concrete base for the first time in Europe.
In June 1897, the first stone was placed. Gorgolewski directed construction, earthwork and decorating tasks, employing the leading masters from Lviv and abroad. Local materials were used for the construction. Marble elements were manufactured in Vienna
, whereas Belgium
provided special linen for painting the foyer. The Austria
n company "Siemens" was responsible for assembling the electric lights, while the hydraulic mechanization of the stage was built by the Polish
railway workshop company in Sanok
.
Construction continued for three years. Funding came from Lviv, the surrounding communities, and from voluntary donations. The cost of the works totaled 6 million Austrian crowns.
There are stories told that despite the engineering innovations used by Gorgolewski to construct the foundation of the building, it began to slowly sink because of the Poltva river running underneath it in a tunnel. Learning of the flaw, the architect took it to heart and fell into depression. In the end, in the story, he hanged himself 3 years after the construction was finished (not borne out by facts − he died of heart disease). Shortly afterwards, the building stopped sinking and remains stable nowadays.
(writer), Ignacy Jan Paderewski
(composer) and Henryk Siemiradzki
(painter), Godzimir Małachowski (the president of Lwów), governor Leon Piniński
and Marshal of Galicia Count Stanisław Badeni. A delegation from the city of Prague
was headed by mayor Vladimir Srb and former headmaster of the National Theatre
František Adolf Šubert. Due to the fact that both the Catholic and Orthodox archbishops had died recently, the building was blessed by the archbishop of the Armenian rite Izaak Mikołaj Isakowicz, in presence of rabbi Ezechiel Caro and the Protestant pastor Garfel.
In the evening, the newly built theater held its first performances:
and Baroque architecture
, also known as the Viennese neo-Renaissance
style. The stucco
mouldings and oil paintings on the walls and ceilings of the multi-tiered auditorium and foyer give it a richly festive appearance. The Opera's imposing facade is opulently decorated with numerous niches, Corinthian columns, pilasters, balustrades, cornices, statues, reliefs and stucco garlands. Standing in niches on either side of the main entrance are allegorical figures representing Comedy and Tragedy sculpted by Antoni Popiel
and Tadeusz Baroncz; figures of muse
s embellish the top of the cornice
. The building is crowned by large bronze statues, symbolizing Glory, Poetry and Music.
The theatre, beautifully decorated inside and outside, became a centrefold of the achievements in sculpture and painting of Western Europe at the end of the 19th century. The internal decoration was prepared by some of the most renowned Polish artists of the time. Among them were Stanisław Wójcik (allegorical sculptures of Poetry, Music, Fame, Fortune, Comedy and Tragedy), Julian Markowski, Tadeusz Wiśniowiecki, Tadeusz Barącz, Piotr Wojtowicz (relief depicting the coat of arms of Lviv
), Juliusz Bełtowski (bas-relief of Gorgolewski) and Antoni Popiel
(sculptures of Muses decorating the façade).
Among the painters to decorate the interior were Tadeusz Popiel (staircases), Stanisław Rejchan (main hall), Stanisław Dębicki, Stanisław Kaczor-Batowski and Marceli Harasimowicz (foyer
). The team supervised by the abovementioned artists included further painters, among them Aleksander Augustynowicz, Ludwik Kohler, Walery Kryciński, Henryk Kuhn, Edward Pietsch, Zygmunt Rozwadowski, Tadeusz Rybkowski and Julian Zuber. The main curtain
was decorated by Henryk Siemiradzki
.
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The building was built between 1897 and 1900. The Lwów Opera was originally called the Grand Theatre until it was renamed in 1939 by the Soviet authorities.
History
At the end of the 19th century, Lviv felt the need for a large city theatre. In 1895, the city announced an architectural competition for the best design, which attracted a large number of projects.An independent jury unhesitatingly chose the design by Zygmunt Gorgolewski
Zygmunt Gorgolewski
Zygmunt Gorgolewski was a Polish architect, renowned for his construction of the Grand Theatre in Lwów ....
, a graduate of the Berlin Building Academy and the Director of the Lwów higher art-industrial school. Gorgolewski pleasantly surprised the jury by planning to locate the building in the centre of the city, although it was already densely built-up. In order to solve the space problem, he boldly proposed to enclose the Poltva River
Poltva River
The Poltva River is a river in the western Ukrainian Oblast of Lviv and a tributary of the Bug River. The capital of the Lviv Oblast, Lviv, is located on the river. In the 19th century the river was included into the underground sewer system of Lviv....
underground, and instead of using a traditional foundation, use a solid concrete base for the first time in Europe.
In June 1897, the first stone was placed. Gorgolewski directed construction, earthwork and decorating tasks, employing the leading masters from Lviv and abroad. Local materials were used for the construction. Marble elements were manufactured in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, whereas Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
provided special linen for painting the foyer. The Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n company "Siemens" was responsible for assembling the electric lights, while the hydraulic mechanization of the stage was built by the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
railway workshop company in Sanok
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
.
Construction continued for three years. Funding came from Lviv, the surrounding communities, and from voluntary donations. The cost of the works totaled 6 million Austrian crowns.
There are stories told that despite the engineering innovations used by Gorgolewski to construct the foundation of the building, it began to slowly sink because of the Poltva river running underneath it in a tunnel. Learning of the flaw, the architect took it to heart and fell into depression. In the end, in the story, he hanged himself 3 years after the construction was finished (not borne out by facts − he died of heart disease). Shortly afterwards, the building stopped sinking and remains stable nowadays.
Grand opening
The Lviv Opera opened on October 4, 1900. The cultural elite—painters, writers, and composers, as well as delegations from various European theatres—attended the opening festivities. Among the guests attending the ceremony were Henryk SienkiewiczHenryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...
(writer), Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
(composer) and Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki was a Polish 19th century painter active in the period of foreign Partitions of Poland, and best remembered for his monumental Academic art...
(painter), Godzimir Małachowski (the president of Lwów), governor Leon Piniński
Leon Pininski
Leon Piniński was a Polish scientist, diplomat, art historian and politician. A professor of Roman law and one-time rector of the Lwów University , he devoted most of his life to political career in his hometown of Lwów , initially in Austria-Hungary and then in Poland.Leon Piniński was born in...
and Marshal of Galicia Count Stanisław Badeni. A delegation from the city of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
was headed by mayor Vladimir Srb and former headmaster of the National Theatre
National Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
František Adolf Šubert. Due to the fact that both the Catholic and Orthodox archbishops had died recently, the building was blessed by the archbishop of the Armenian rite Izaak Mikołaj Isakowicz, in presence of rabbi Ezechiel Caro and the Protestant pastor Garfel.
In the evening, the newly built theater held its first performances:
- A ballet Baśń nocy świętojańskiej (Tale of the Midsummer NightKupalaPolish Noc Świętojańska or Sobótka Russian, Ukrainian Ніч на Купала or Купало/Купайло and Belarusian Купала may mean the traditional fest or the name of a putative god...
) by Jan KasprowiczJan KasprowiczJan Kasprowicz was a poet, playwright, critic and translator; a foremost representative of Young Poland.-Life:...
and Seweryn BersonSeweryn BersonSeweryn Berson was a Polish lawyer and composer. Born in Nowy Sącz, early in his youth he moved to Lwów , where he spent most of his life... - A lyric-dramatic opera, Janek by Władysław Żeleński, about the life of CarpathianCarpathian MountainsThe Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
mountain-dwellers. The major part was sung by a famous UkrainianUkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
tenor, Oleksandr Myshuha, for whom it was specially written. - A comedy Odludki (Recluses) by Aleksander FredroAleksander FredroAleksander Fredro was a Polish poet, playwright and author.-Life:Count Aleksander Fredro, of the Bończa coat of arms, was born in the village of Surochów near Jarosław, then a crown territory of Austria. A landowner's son, he was educated at home. He entered the Polish army at age 16 and saw...
Architectural style
The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is built in the classical tradition with using forms and details of RenaissanceRenaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
and Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
, also known as the Viennese neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
style. The stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
mouldings and oil paintings on the walls and ceilings of the multi-tiered auditorium and foyer give it a richly festive appearance. The Opera's imposing facade is opulently decorated with numerous niches, Corinthian columns, pilasters, balustrades, cornices, statues, reliefs and stucco garlands. Standing in niches on either side of the main entrance are allegorical figures representing Comedy and Tragedy sculpted by Antoni Popiel
Antoni Popiel
Antoni Popiel was a Polish sculptor.-External links:...
and Tadeusz Baroncz; figures of muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
s embellish the top of the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. The building is crowned by large bronze statues, symbolizing Glory, Poetry and Music.
The theatre, beautifully decorated inside and outside, became a centrefold of the achievements in sculpture and painting of Western Europe at the end of the 19th century. The internal decoration was prepared by some of the most renowned Polish artists of the time. Among them were Stanisław Wójcik (allegorical sculptures of Poetry, Music, Fame, Fortune, Comedy and Tragedy), Julian Markowski, Tadeusz Wiśniowiecki, Tadeusz Barącz, Piotr Wojtowicz (relief depicting the coat of arms of Lviv
Coat of arms of Lviv
thumb|right|150px|Coat of Arms of Lviv thumb|right|150px|Coat of arms thumb|right|150px|Historical coat of arms, used during the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] period...
), Juliusz Bełtowski (bas-relief of Gorgolewski) and Antoni Popiel
Antoni Popiel
Antoni Popiel was a Polish sculptor.-External links:...
(sculptures of Muses decorating the façade).
Among the painters to decorate the interior were Tadeusz Popiel (staircases), Stanisław Rejchan (main hall), Stanisław Dębicki, Stanisław Kaczor-Batowski and Marceli Harasimowicz (foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
). The team supervised by the abovementioned artists included further painters, among them Aleksander Augustynowicz, Ludwik Kohler, Walery Kryciński, Henryk Kuhn, Edward Pietsch, Zygmunt Rozwadowski, Tadeusz Rybkowski and Julian Zuber. The main curtain
Curtain
A curtain is a piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or drafts, or water in the case of a shower curtain. Curtains hung over a doorway are known as portières...
was decorated by Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki was a Polish 19th century painter active in the period of foreign Partitions of Poland, and best remembered for his monumental Academic art...
.