Theiler bids farewell to the Semperoper: "It was fun"

Peter Theiler is bidding farewell as Artistic Director of the Semperoper in Dresden and is leaving the opera house with good feelings. "It was fun," said the 68-year-old Swiss national on Friday in Dresden. It has been an honor for him to have managed this beautiful house. "I'm actually leaving quite satisfied." He had the impression that he was handing over the house in good condition to his successor - Nora Schmid. The Semperoper will thus remain in "Swiss hands". Theiler wants to keep the center of his life in the city on the Elbe. He and his wife have become Dresdeners.

Theiler was Artistic Director in Nuremberg before his position in Dresden and came to the Elbe at the start of the 2018/2019 season. After six years of vacancy, the Saxon State Opera now has a successor to Ulrike Hessler, who died in 2012. Until Theiler's arrival, Commercial Director Wolfgang Rothe acted as acting Artistic Director. Theiler was supposed to give the Semperoper more international appeal again. After a good year and a half, he was forced to improvise due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He recalled this once again on Friday. He had to change the architecture of the repertoire, but with the exception of Rossini's "William Tell", all the plays he had planned were staged. The Strauss opera "Capriccio" was recorded in front of an empty auditorium due to the lockdown and broadcast on Arte. "The building was closed, we reacted to that." But that was water under the bridge. Ultimately, this period welded the Saxon State Theatres - which also include the Staatsschauspiel Dresden - together.

Theiler's record includes more than 1500 performances, including 44 operas and nine new ballet productions. Three operas were commissioned by the Semperoper and premiered in Dresden, as well as five ballets. Theiler has also collaborated with theatres in Tokyo, San Francisco and Paris: "For me, opera is music theater. That has always been my credo." Music theater must have social relevance.

Theiler is to be officially bid farewell on Saturday - before the premiere of the opera "Benvenuto Cellini" by Hector Berlioz. Saxony's Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch (CDU) paid tribute to him in advance. "He leaves behind an excellently positioned house with numerous international cooperation partners and an outstanding international reputation," explained Klepsch on Friday. Theiler had strengthened the opera's international network, expanded the repertoire with rarely performed works and promoted young talent.

On Friday, just in time for Theiler's farewell, the Semperoper took stock of the season, which ends in a few days' time. According to the report, capacity utilization in the core business of opera, ballet and concerts by the Staatskapelle rose to a good 90 percent, almost reaching the pre-pandemic level (2019: 92 percent). The opera generated ticket income of just under 17.7 million euros. This corresponds to a cost recovery rate of 35%.