Semperoper celebrates its 40th birthday with a week of festivities

Risen from the ruins: the Semperoper celebrates its 40th birthday in February with a week of festivities. From 12 to 16 February, a rich program of sound, images and words will remind us of the past and encourage us to look ahead, the Saxon State Opera announced. For example, a series of performances of Carl Maria von Weber's opera "Der Freischütz" is planned, which was staged at the reopening on February 13, 1985.

East and West united in the audience at the reopening

With its current birthday, the Semperoper is just as old as it was unplayable after its destruction in the Second World War. The reopening was something like an anticipated fall of the Berlin Wall. Because back then, East and West were sitting harmoniously united in the audience. Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (SPD) was there, as was Lower Saxony's then head of government Ernst Albrecht (CDU). The national anthem of the GDR served as an overture.

The reconstruction of the Semperoper is still considered a masterpiece today. Around 225 million GDR marks went into the construction. Additional money was used for workshops and three new buildings behind the opera house, including a rehearsal stage. Apart from a little gold leaf, everything was "Made in GDR". The people of Dresden took a great interest in the project. At the opening, thousands flocked to a rally on Theaterplatz in the freezing cold.

Video installation for the festival week

During the festival week, the Semperoper will also be put in the right light visually - with a daily video installation in the early evening hours. "Patterns inspired by the architecture, text fragments, elements from striking performances and historical moments merge to create haunting images on the façade of the Semperoper that encourage pause and reflection," it said.