Mahen Theatre
Encyclopedia
Mahen Theatre is a Czech
theatre
situated in the city of Brno
. Mahen Theatre, built as German Deutsches Stadttheater in 1882, was one of the first public buildings in the world lit entirely by electric light
. It was built in a combination of Neo-renaissance
, Neo-baroque
and Neoclassical
architectural styles.
architectural studio Fellner and Helmer
. The studio was specialized in projects of theatre buildings. Around 1880, their modern type of theatre building was considered as a model.
The founding stone was laid on July 18, 1881. The construction went smoothly, taking only 16 months from start to opening of the theatre. During the construction it was necessary to change the building's inner disposition several times. The main reason for this was the devastating fires which were affecting European theatres at the time. In March 1881, a fire in the Théâter Royal in Nice
killed almost 200 people. In August, 1881, a fire destroyed the copper dome, the auditorium and stage of the National Theatre
in Prague
. The same year, another fire in Ringtheater
in Vienna killed at least 384. The builders of the new theatre in Brno decided to take action in order to avoid similar incidents. New exits and additional side stairways were included in the plans. However, the most important decision was to replace the proposed gas lighting
with a new invention: the electric light
. In the middle of 1881, Brno city council negotiated a contract with the Edison Electric Light Company. The plans were designed by Thomas Edison
himself, and the project was constructed by French and Austrian manufacturers, under the supervision of Edison's assistant Francis Jehl
. The power station had to be built in a distant place, almost 300m away from the theatre, to ensure noise minimization. Amongst other things, the equipment of the power station consisted of four large dynamos imported from New York
.
Thomas Edison wasn't present at the installation of the device, he visited Brno only 25 years later.
The theatre was opened on November 14, 1882 with the festive overture Consecration of the House
by Ludwig van Beethoven
. The opening celebration continued with the play "U paní Bruny", written by the German director of the theatre, Adolf Franckel, and ended with Goethe's
Egmont
.
Initially, Mahen Theatre was a German opera house, and it was called Deutsches Stadttheater (German City Theatre). In 1918, following World War I
, it passed into the hands of the newly founded Czechoslovak state. It was renamed Divadlo na Hradbách (Theatre on the Wall) and the first dramatical adviser became the novelist and playwright Jiří Mahen
, after whom the theatre has been named since 1965.
In 1936, the theatre was largely reconstructed by the company Kolben - Daněk
. Thanks to the reconstruction, it became one of the most modern theatre buildings in Czechoslovakia.
Today's Mahen Theatre served mainly as an opera house, until the building of Janáček Theatre
in 1965. Five of the late operas by Leoš Janáček
were premiered here, as well as the ballet Romeo and Juliet
by Sergei Prokofiev
. Since 1965, the theatre has served as the home stage of the dramatical ensemble of the National Theatre
in Brno.
Parts of the original wiring are displayed in the foyer
of the theatre (as of 2009). Mahen Theatre was proclaimed as one of the National Technical Monuments of the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
situated in the city of Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. Mahen Theatre, built as German Deutsches Stadttheater in 1882, was one of the first public buildings in the world lit entirely by electric light
Electric light
Electric lights are a convenient and economic form of artificial lighting which provide increased comfort, safety and efficiency. Most electric lighting is powered by centrally-generated electric power, but lighting may also be powered by mobile or standby electric generators or battery systems...
. It was built in a combination of 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...
, Neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
and Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architectural styles.
History
The city theatre Reduta in Brno burned down in 1870, and the city council decided to build a new theatre building within a short time period. Thanks to the efforts of then mayor Gustav Winterholler, the decision was taken to build a bigger and better theatre at the place of Obstplatz (today's Malinovský square). The commission was assigned to the renowned ViennaVienna
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...
architectural studio Fellner and Helmer
Ferdinand Fellner
Ferdinand Fellner was an Austrian architect. Along with Hermann Helmer, he designed several theatres and palaces across Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century.Fellner was born in Vienna...
. The studio was specialized in projects of theatre buildings. Around 1880, their modern type of theatre building was considered as a model.
The founding stone was laid on July 18, 1881. The construction went smoothly, taking only 16 months from start to opening of the theatre. During the construction it was necessary to change the building's inner disposition several times. The main reason for this was the devastating fires which were affecting European theatres at the time. In March 1881, a fire in the Théâter Royal in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
killed almost 200 people. In August, 1881, a fire destroyed the copper dome, the auditorium and stage 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...
in 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...
. The same year, another fire in Ringtheater
Ringtheater
The Ringtheater was a popular theater in Vienna, Austria. It was located in the First District , Schottenring 7. It was destroyed in a fire in 1881, and today the site is the federal headquarters of police for Vienna.-Construction:...
in Vienna killed at least 384. The builders of the new theatre in Brno decided to take action in order to avoid similar incidents. New exits and additional side stairways were included in the plans. However, the most important decision was to replace the proposed gas lighting
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
with a new invention: the electric light
Electric light
Electric lights are a convenient and economic form of artificial lighting which provide increased comfort, safety and efficiency. Most electric lighting is powered by centrally-generated electric power, but lighting may also be powered by mobile or standby electric generators or battery systems...
. In the middle of 1881, Brno city council negotiated a contract with the Edison Electric Light Company. The plans were designed by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
himself, and the project was constructed by French and Austrian manufacturers, under the supervision of Edison's assistant Francis Jehl
Francis Jehl
- References :* Francis Jehl Dies; An Edison Pioneer. , p 24* Israel, Paul. Edison: A Life of Invention. , 1998* Jehl, Francis. Working with Edison. , p BR 12...
. The power station had to be built in a distant place, almost 300m away from the theatre, to ensure noise minimization. Amongst other things, the equipment of the power station consisted of four large dynamos imported from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Thomas Edison wasn't present at the installation of the device, he visited Brno only 25 years later.
The theatre was opened on November 14, 1882 with the festive overture Consecration of the House
Consecration of the House Overture
Consecration of the House , op.124, is a work by Ludwig van Beethoven composed in September 1822. It was commissioned by Carl Friedrich Hensler, the Director of Vienna’s new Theater in der Josefstadt, and was first performed at the theatre's opening on October 3, 1822. It was the first work...
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
. The opening celebration continued with the play "U paní Bruny", written by the German director of the theatre, Adolf Franckel, and ended with Goethe's
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
Egmont
Egmont (play)
Egmont is a play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which he completed in 1788. Its dramaturgical structure, like that of his earlier 'Storm and Stress' play Götz von Berlichingen , is heavily influenced by Shakespearean tragedy; in contrast, however, to the earlier work, the portrait in Egmont of the...
.
Initially, Mahen Theatre was a German opera house, and it was called Deutsches Stadttheater (German City Theatre). In 1918, following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it passed into the hands of the newly founded Czechoslovak state. It was renamed Divadlo na Hradbách (Theatre on the Wall) and the first dramatical adviser became the novelist and playwright Jiří Mahen
Jirí Mahen
Jiří Mahen was a Czech novelist, playwright and essayist.- Life :He was born Antonín Vančura, in Čáslav, to an old noble family of the Moravian Brethren faith. In his grammar-school years he became an anarchist. He later studied linguistics of the Czech and German languages at Prague University...
, after whom the theatre has been named since 1965.
In 1936, the theatre was largely reconstructed by the company Kolben - Daněk
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
. Thanks to the reconstruction, it became one of the most modern theatre buildings in Czechoslovakia.
Today's Mahen Theatre served mainly as an opera house, until the building of Janáček Theatre
Janáček Theatre
Janáček Theatre is a theatre situated in the city of Brno, Czech Republic. It is a part of the National Theatre in Brno. It was built from 1960 to 1965, and opened in October 1965...
in 1965. Five of the late operas by Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janácek
Leoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
were premiered here, as well as the ballet Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)
Romeo and Juliet is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is one of the most enduringly popular ballets...
by Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
. Since 1965, the theatre has served as the home stage of the dramatical ensemble of the National Theatre
National Theatre (Brno)
The National Theatre in Brno is the major theatre house in Brno. It was established in 1884 by model of the National Theatre in Prague.Nowadays it consists of three stages:...
in Brno.
Parts of the original wiring are displayed in the foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
of the theatre (as of 2009). Mahen Theatre was proclaimed as one of the National Technical Monuments of the Czech Republic.
Notable premieres
- Káťa Kabanová (Leoš Janáček) (1922)
- The Cunning Little VixenThe Cunning Little VixenThe Cunning Little Vixen is an opera by Leoš Janáček, with a libretto adapted by the composer from a serialized novella by Rudolf Těsnohlídek and Stanislav Lolek, which was first published in the newspaper Lidové noviny.-Composition history:When Janáček discovered Těsnohlídek's...
(Leoš Janáček) (1924) - The Makropulos Affair (Leoš Janáček) (1926)
- From the House of the DeadFrom the House of the DeadFrom the House of the Dead is an opera by Leoš Janáček, in three acts. The libretto was translated and adapted by the composer from the novel by Dostoyevsky...
(Leoš Janáček) (1930) - Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)Romeo and Juliet is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is one of the most enduringly popular ballets...
(Sergei Prokofiev) (1938) - DestinyDestiny (Janácek)Destiny is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer and Fedora Bartošová. Janáček began the work in 1903 and completed it in 1907. The inspiration for the opera came from a visit by Janáček in the summer of 1903, after the death of his daughter Olga, to the spa...
(Janáček) (1958)
External links
- National Theatre in Brno
- TACE – entry in TACE database