The Building
The first theatre was commissioned in 1810 by King Maximilian I of Bavaria as the nearby Residence Theatre had too limited space. It was designed by Karl von Fischer 1811-1818, with the 1782 Odéon in Paris as its architectural basis. The new theatre was opened with Die Weihe by Ferdinand Fränzl, but then was soon destroyed by fire in 1823. (Coincidentally the Paris Odéon itself burned down in 1818.) It was then immediately reconstructed and re-opened in 1825.
This second theatre, designed by Leo von Klenze, incorporated Neo-Grec features as seen in its portico and triangular pediment. The entrance is supported by Corinthian columns. The interior is also designed according to classical Greek model. The magnificent royal box is the center of the 2100-seater indoor rondel. It is decorated with two large caryatids on both sides. The stage covers 2500 m², the theater has thus according to the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Grand Theatre, Warsaw world's third largest opera stage. Through the consistent use of wood as a building material, the theater has excellent acoustics.
In 1930 it was modified to create an enlarged stage area with updated equipment. It survived World War II until bombed in October 1943.
The third and present theater (1963) recreates Karl von Fischer's original neo-classical design, though on a slightly larger, 2,100-seat scale. Architect Gerhard Moritz Graubner closely preserved the original look of the foyer and main staircase. It opened on 22 November, 1963, with a performance of Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Read more about this topic: National Theatre Munich
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