![\"Semperoper\"](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDresden gets an opera house<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Gottfried Semper built one of the most beautiful theatre buildings in Europe in Dresden from 1838. The round building was in the style of the Italian early Renaissance. A special highlight of the building was a digital clock mounted above the stage. This had been developed by the Dresden clockmaker Gutkaes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On 21.9.1869 the opera house burned down completely. Within 4 weeks, a replacement venue was built at Zwingerwall. With the simplest of means, a venue was built that could accommodate 1800 visitors and was affectionately called “Bretterbude” (Planks shack) by the locals. Playing continued as early as 2 December 1869.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gottfried Semper had fallen from grace due to his participation in the May riots of 1849 and had to flee from Saxon soil. Even when construction work began on the new opera house in 1871, he was unable to be on site. His new design was implemented by his son Manfred Semper. The building was completed in 1878 and could be inaugurated with Carl Maria von Weber’s Jubelouvert\u00fcre and Goethe’s Iphigenie auf Tauris\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new Semper Opera House was a magnificent building, splendidly furnished both inside and out. The design of the fa\u00e7ade was very rich in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then came the Second World War and the air raids on Dresden destroyed almost the entire city centre. A fire broke out in the Semper Opera House, destroying the audience and stage area. The back wall of the stage building collapsed. Fortunately, the galleries were spared from the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the war, only security work was carried out and studies were made for the reconstruction. In the summer of 1977, the foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction. Chief architect Wolfgang H\u00e4nsch tried to stick as closely as possible to Semper’s plans, but also had to meet the growing needs of a modern opera house. In 1985, the Semper Opera opened with a performance of the opera “Der Freisch\u00fctz” by Carl Maria von Weber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In August 2002, the Elbe burst its banks so badly during a flood that the Semperoper was damaged again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we went on a discovery tour to the opera, we had enough time to take a closer look at the theatre square (Theaterplatz) and the opera building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In front of the Semper Opera House stands the large, impressive monument to King Johann. It was created by the artist Johannes Schilling from 1882.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1881, the Dresden Military Association raised funds to have a monument erected to King Johann. After some discussion about the location, the theatre square was finally discussed. Johannes Schilling was commissioned to design the monument and the 6-metre-high bronze was cast in 1889. The base for the equestrian statue was designed by two architects and the statue was inaugurated on 18 June 1889.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I find it astonishing that the monument survived the Nazi bronze collection campaign, the bombing in the Second World War and the planned dismantling in GDR times unscathed in its place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you walk around the plinth, which is made of green syenite, you will notice a division into two parts. The lower section is about 1.75 metres high, and above it is a section about 3 metres high. Both are designed differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lower area is characterised by figurative relief decoration. Each side is designed differently and has a different theme. For example, there is the representation of the allegory “Nature” with the corresponding themes, Mercury as the god of trade with “Prosperity” and the corresponding illustrations, and one finds, for example, themes such as military strength, science and art. For me as a layman, the assignments are not always clear, I am glad when I can read up on the relevant information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The upper part of the base bears the image of the royal crown and the name Johann on the front. On the long sides are panels with sayings. If you look closely during your tour, you will find a small open book with the profile of a man on the back of the pedestal. That is Dante Alighieri. The famous poet created the Divine Comedies, for example, and it was precisely these that King John translated into German.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The equestrian statue shows King John in a royal coat over his uniform. He holds the sceptre in his right arm and his head is uncovered. He is looking in the direction of the old town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quadriga stands above the main entrance to the Semper Opera House. Not horses but four panthers pull the two-wheeled chariot on which Dionysus and Ariadne stand. The work of art was created by Johannes Schilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Quadriga conceals a little secret in its base. There, in a locked room, are antennas. In GDR times and even today, these were used so that the staff in the building could communicate via radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Numerous statues and busts adorn the fa\u00e7ade of the Semper Opera House. If you look closely, you will discover Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Sophocles, Moli\u00e9re and Euripides. But Semper himself is also immortalised with a bust. However, you can only see it from the roof of the extension building or from the wall opposite the stage entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don’t want to go to an opera performance at the Semper Opera, you can take part in a guided tour. There are regular appointments with different focuses, where you can get some impressions in groups (in our case there were around 20 people) in 45 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After climbing a few steps from the very plain cloakroom area, we stood in a magnificent, almost overloaded entrance area. Here you can clearly see that Semper took the Italian Renaissance as a model for the building. I found it particularly exciting that many elements only serve as “disguises” for the actual building elements. The stucco is applied to the ceilings and walls and the columns are only a marble replica. But I don’t think that makes the room any less interesting. I would have liked to spend more time there and admire the many small and large details. I especially liked the wall and ceiling design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opera hall is constructed in such a way that it has excellent acoustics. During our visit, we were able to take a seat in the stalls of the hall and enjoy a little of the flair and beauty of the space. Today, a total of 1300 people can be seated in the auditorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ornamental curtain in front of the stage, measuring 17 x 12 metres and weighing 400 kilograms, is said to be particularly impressive. It is made of hand-sewn Belgian linen and is also hand-painted. Unfortunately, there was nothing to see of the curtain during our visit, but we were able to watch the stagehands preparing for the next performance and take a look into the orchestra pit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n High above the audience hangs a 1.9 tonne chandelier in the centre of the auditorium. An impressive chandelier that does justice to the beautiful ceiling in the theatre hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Above the stage door of the Semper Opera House is a frieze. Characters from plays and opera are depicted here. My knowledge in this area is rather insufficient and so I have to believe that Papageno, Tannh\u00e4user, Don Juan, Othello and Faust, for example, are depicted there. I was surprised to see a clock hanging there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the 1830s, the master watchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes was commissioned to develop a “respectable chronometer” for the new Dresden Opera House. The clock already caused a sensation at the inauguration of the opera and was considered a masterpiece of Saxon watchmaking. I wonder, however, why a clock had to hang in the opera hall at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The design was inspired by the French clocks of the 17th century. The clockmaker decided to develop a five-minute clock. Two fabric-covered rollers with printed numerals were driven by a gear train. The full hours are displayed in Roman numerals and the minutes in Arabic numerals from 5 to 55. So every 5 minutes a new number becomes visible. On the hour, no number is displayed. So that all spectators could see the numbers well, the numerals had a size of 40 centimetres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, this clock was destroyed in the great fire of 1869. Ludwig Teubner, a pupil of Gutkae, was commissioned to make a new clock for the new opera building. The result was a large clock that combined elements of traditional tower clocks with the design principles of classical clockmaking. The functional principle of this clock, which was also a five-minute clock, stands as a model in the Mathematical-Physical Salon in Dresden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the Second World War, a new five-minute clock was also needed for the rebuilt Semper Opera House. This was developed by a team of experts. Today, the opera hall has a five-minute clock that continues to run silently and hangs above the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Theaterplatz 2, Schinkelwache Monday – Friday: 10-13 h<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Semperoper](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-seiteneingang-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Schlusstein](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-masken-fassade-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Leuchter](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Dresden-Semperoper-fuehrung-leuchter-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTour around the Semper Opera<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
King John Monument (K\u00f6nig-Johann-Denkmal) on Theatre Square <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"K\u00f6nig-Johann-Denkmal](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-denkmal-platz-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"K\u00f6nig-Johann-Denkmal\"](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Dresden-Semperoper-koenig-Johann-1024x653.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nQuadriga above the main portal of the opera<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Quadriga](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-figur-dach-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStatues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Statuen](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-figuren-fassade-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTour in the Semper Opera House<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Vorraum](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-vorraum-ganz-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Details](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-saeule-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOpera Hall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Opernsaal](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-zuschauer-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Opernsaal](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-decke-konzertsaal-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Fries](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-konzertsaal-gestaltungselemente-koepfe-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"B\u00fchne\"](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-buehne-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe 5-minute clock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"F\u00fcnf-Minuten-Uhr\"](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dresden-semperoper-fuehrung-uhr-ueber-buehne-1024x697.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
01067 Dresden<\/p>\n\n\n\nPre-sale point:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Theaterplatz 2
01067 Dresden<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpening hours:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Guided tours of the Semper Opera House:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n