A Political History of the Vienna Opera 1869 - 1955

The project A Political History of the Vienna Opera 1869 1955 aims to study the political aspects of the history of the Vienna opera in an era that is of great importance for Austrias history from a perspective that combines approaches characteristic of history, political science and musicology by means of case-studies. Reciprocal actions between political and aspects of opera culture investigated over this long period represent a clear desideratum in reference to the status of research concerning the history of opera in Vienna. The regime changes of the years 1918, 1933, 1938 and 1945 were powerful in their impact but not more so than the decline of political Liberalism, the ethnic conflicts, the introduction of universal male suffrage or the political and economic crises of the interwar years. The era 1869 1955 is characterized in particular by ruptures and reorientation processes which had multifaceted and lasting consequences. 1869, the opening year of the Hofoper am Ring, marks the beginning of the period under investigation; it was also the year that marked the climax of the political hegemony of the Liberals. 1955, the endpoint of our period, was the year when Austria was given a new lease of life as a sovereign state, a development that was symbolized with great intensity by the reopening of the Staatsoper in the same year. The great length of the investigation period will make it possible to highlight continuities and ruptures in the Operas political history more effectively than is the case if the focus is exclusively on the usual historical turning points. The question here is whether and to what extent such key years had an immediate impact on the Opera and/or whether and to what extent continuities, for instance in terms of programming or personnel policy or in the selection, production and mise-en-scène of specific operas, remained in place. The question, to put it short, is: What is the relationship between change and continuity? The project will be dominated by two main aspects: 1. the political history of the operas organisation as a history of administration: containing e.g. the legal framework, political or operatic group interests, personnel policy. The main means of research for these aspects are social history and analysis of networks; 2. aesthetics of opera and performance in reference to artistic aims and political influences, manifested within the organisation of the repertoire, but also containing the interpretation of the musical works and their reception among audiences and critics, considering their social and political conditionalities. These aspects are analyzed by methods of the history of mentalities, as well as source analysis. The project will present significant bodies of source material for the first time in detail, for instance the denazification files of the Bundestheaterverband in the Austrian State Archive, the corresponding files of the Reichsmusikkammer in the Communal Archival Holdings of the Vienna City Archives, the historical performance material of the Austrian National Library, Department of Music, and the substantial holdings in files on theatre censorship. Results of this research project will be published both in the forms of a project report and papers in international peer-reviewed journals. Moreover, we will carry out an exhibition to be covered by the media in an appropriate manner.

No additional funding sources recorded.