Dear audience!

This confusing, breathtaking image. A state opera house that is only recognizable at second glance, the box seats only rudimentarily present, construction lights, raw tree trunks in the auditorium: a snapshot of reconstruction after the Second World War. Destruction and reconstruction, identity and a guilty past, longing and the will to make a new start - all this is contained in this picture. This fall marks the 70th anniversary of the reopening of the Vienna State Opera.

And indeed, this event is still an integral part of the great narrative of the opera house on the Ring. What's more, this November 5, 1955 is a key point in recent Austrian history - because it was about more than just an evening at the opera. It was something like the overwhelming, cumulative impression of a new beginning, with all the hopes, wishes and unfortunately also repressions, denials and insistences.

The fact that the reopening is now covered by a solid crust of legends is something we experience time and again. For example, the number of people who credibly claim to have been present at the opening Fidelio on November 5 exceeds the capacity of the building several times over. This should not be taken too harshly. It shows how important this date is for many, not just in their memories but also in their hearts.

In the coming weeks and months, we will repeatedly refer to the complex topic of the fall of 1955 as well as its history before and after. The first opera-air gala concert on September 7, which is dedicated to the reopening, is something like the beginning of this discussion. The arc will reach far; if you will, to the Fidelio premiere in December 2025. We look forward to taking this journey together with you -

sincerely,

Bogdan Roščić
Director of the Vienna State Opera