Munich Opera Festival

Munich Opera Festival

July

Although Munich, Germany, may be best known for its Oktoberfest, it is also the home of one of the world's great opera festivals. The focus is on three composers who were associated with the city in some way: Richard Strauss (1864-1949), who was born there; Richard Wagner (1813-1883), some of whose operas premiered there; and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), some of whose operas were first performed in the rococo Residenz Theater, a former royal palace. But other operas have been staged there as well, particularly those by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848), Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), Ruggero Leoncavallo (1858-1919), Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945), and other Italian composers. About 16 operas are normally presented during the month-long festival, along with one or two ballets and a few recitals.
Most of the operas are staged in the Nationaltheater, home of the Bavarian State Opera. Some of the events take place in the CuvilliÉs-Theater, a horseshoe-shaped rococo theater that was destroyed in World War II and then rebuilt according to its original plan. There is an hour-long intermission to allow patrons time to eat dinner.

CONTACTS:
Munich Opera Festival
Bavarian State Opera
Max-Joseph-Platz 2
Munich, D-80539 Germany
49-89-218-50-1; fax: 49-89-218-51-133
www.muenchner-opern-festspiele.de/233-UmVkU1lTX0Nv

SOURCES:
GdWrldFest-1985, p. 85
MusFestEurBrit-1980, p. 103