It may seem strange that a blog devoted to music-themed stamps would feature stamps with buildings. However, many countries celebrate famous musical institutions by featuring them on stamps. National theaters and opera houses are typically expensive works that intend to impress the population. Such institutions are also a meeting place for the cultural, political, and business elites of a nation or city. As a result, the buildings show the sophistication of the people and government that built them. These postage stamps do the same.
This blog has previously discussed postage stamps celebrating the opening of the Beethovenhalle, the bicentennial of La Scala,and the bicentennial of the Kirov. This post features a pair of stamps that celebrated the reopening of the Burgtheater and State Opera House in Vienna following their destruction in World War II.
Burgtheater
Scott Number 606
Wikimedia
The Burgtheater, or the Imperial Theater, is one of the most important and famous theaters in the world. The original theater began as a project of the Empress Maria Theresa who had it built near her palace in 1741. Important works including three of Mozart’s operas and Beethoven’s First Symphony were first performed in the Burgtheater.
In 1888, the current building on the Ringstrasse was built. The theater was home to an infamous production of The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare in 1943 that portrayed a terribly antisemitic portrayal of Shylock. In 1945, during a bombing run the building burned nearly to the ground. After the devastation of World War II, the City began rebuilding the Burgtheater in 1953, completing it in 1955. The postage stamp commemorates this reopening. To learn more about the previous Burgtheater read this terrific blog.
The State Opera
Scott Number 607
Opera came to Vienna with the Empress Eleonora of Gonzaga in 1622. The city was also where Mozart premiered many of his operas and Beethoven first presented Fidelio. However, the State Opera House was only completed in 1869. It was the first major institution on the Ringstrasse.
The State Opera, or Staatsoper, opened on May 25, 1869 with a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Both Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss served as general managers of the State Opera. In March of 1945, the State Opera caught fire after a bombing by American forces. In 1947, work began to rebuild the Opera. It was only completed in 1955 and this event, like the opening of the Burgtheater, was celebrated with these postage stamps.
The Postage stamps
The beautiful stamps were the creation of Adolf Tuma and the illustrious Hans Ranzoni, Jr., who also did the engraving. They were printed by the Österreichische Staatsdruckerei GmbH and issued on July 25, 1955.
Check out this performance, in eighteenth century period costumes, of the Blue Danube at the Vienna State Opera. Enjoy!
