And it is not just any theatre, but the one that Emanuel Schikaneder, the all-round genius, actor, impresario with a flair for organization but above all librettist of The Magic Flute, had built in 1801 in Vienna in keeping with the spirit of Mozart.

To coincide with the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth the Theater an der Wien presents itself as a new opera house from January 2006. As a "stagione" opera house with productions all the year round the Theater an der Wien carves a new and independent niche in the realm of high-quality culture in Vienna. For twelve months of the year, with one premiere every month, opera will be performed under the "stagione", or season, system: that means the cast remains unchanged from the first performance to the last one, which guarantees that the very highest international standards are maintained.

The theatre's modern, accessible approach to music theatre as demonstrated by the works performed, the overall artistic concept Bespielung and the artistes is further underlined by the building itself, its architecture and the vibrancy of its location. The surroundings and materials, the intimate atmosphere and perfect acoustics in the historical theatre prepare the senses to experience beauty. The Theater an der Wien deliberately enters into a symbiotic relationship with its lively surroundings on the Naschmarkt street market and the young cultural scene centred in the Schleifmühl quarter.

Programm 2012 :

19th January 2012, "Iolanta" | Francesca da Rimini
Lyric opera in one act (1892)
Music by Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowski
Libretto by Modest Iljitsch Tschaikowski
In Russian with German Supertitles
21., 24., 27., 29., 31. January , 7:00 pm

19th February "Telemaco"
Dramma per musica in two acts (1765)
Music by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Libretto by Marco Coltellini
In Italian with German Supertitles
22., 24., 27., 29. February; 7:00 pm

Monday, 19th March 2012, "Les contes d'Hoffmann"
Opéra-fantastique in five acts (1881)
Music by Jacques Offenbach
Libretto by Jules Barbier based on on the play by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré In French with German supertitels
23., 25., 27., 29. March; 7:00 pm
4., 6., 8., 10. July; 7:00pm

Monday, 23th April 2012, "Hamlet"
Opéra in five acts (1868)
Music by Ambroise Thomas
Libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier based on the play by William Shakespeare
26., 28., 30. April, 7:00 pm

Friday, 10th August 2012, "La donna del lago"
Melodramma in two acts (1819)
Music by Gioachino Rossini
Libretto by Leone Andrea Tottola
In Italian with German supertitles
12., 14., 17., 19. August, 7:30 pm

Prices : at Euro 37.-/65.-/89.-/115.-/127.-/159.- and 184.- incl. fees each (for operas, concerts approx. 20% less)