Schönbrunn Palace Theatre

The Schönbrunn Palace Theater, also known as the Schönbrunn Music Theater, is a theater in Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria.It is one of the most atmospheric spaces at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna as a baroque theater.

The grounds of Schloss Schönbrunn hosted theatrical performances on occasion in the 17th century.In 1745, Maria Theresa commissioned Nicol Pacassi to create an imperial theatre in a palace wing, one of Europe’s earliest palace theatres.It was inaugurated on October 4, 1747, the birthday of her husband, Holy Roman Emperor Francis I.

The empress, who performed in opera and theater, sat in on her children’s tableaux vivants. Initially, the theatre only served the Habsburg court.Court Opera members performed in the theatre.Christoph Willibald Gluck premiered two operas there, L’arbre enchanté in 1759 and Il Parnaso confuso in 1765.In 1777, Joseph Haydn directed concerts by the Esterhazy orchestra.

Napoleon Bonaparte refurbished the theatre while he established his headquarters at Schönbrunn. In 1809, it reopened with Jean Racine’s Phèdre. During the Congress of Vienna, singers from the Theater am Kärntnertor performed for emperors and monarchs. The Burgtheater group staged plays under Ferdinand I of Austria, and the theatre thrived once more.The palace and theater were electrified in 1898.

Prior to World War I, the structure was used for furniture storage, but when the imperial possessions were stolen in 1919, the Burgtheater, headed by Albert Heine, resumed summer performances until 1924.The Max Reinhardt Seminar was granted the Schlosstheater as a rehearsal stage in 1929, and it has been utilized by the opera department of the Universität für Musik and darstellende Kunst from October to June.

In 1979/80, the structure received extensive renovation.