STATE OPERA Building Hungary

 In the 19th century, when the opera was a very important indicator of social status, when elegant ladies glided like swans on the stairs and showed themselves, the Hungarian State Opera House was the most popular place in Hungary. In addition to being one of the most prestigious operas in the world, it is both one of the best acoustic music venues and one of the most aesthetic structures.

The idea of building the Hungarian State Opera House, now known as the Hungarian Royal Opera House, started in 1873 with the design of Miklós Ybl, one of the most important Hungarian architects of the 19th century, who was also the architect of St. Stephen's Basilica.

The construction of the Neo-Renaissance style opera house on Andrássy Street began in 1875 with the support of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph and funds from the city of Budapest. The building, which is still the biggest opera in all of Hungary today, was opened to the public on September 27, 1884. The building, which is quite ornate and magnificent, is considered a marvel of design even today. The bronze chandelier in the main hall weighed 3050 kilograms. The main stage, on the other hand, was the most modern engineering example of its period with its hydraulic system and its rotatable structure. The royal lodge is also decorated with statues symbolizing the four main operatic voices: bass, soprano, tenor and alto.

Its horseshoe-shaped auditorium had a capacity of 1261 people. Although not in size, it is the third best acoustic opera house in the world, after Scala in Milan and Paris Opera House, according to the examinations made by engineers. A statue of Ferenc Erkel, composer of the Hungarian National Anthem, stands in front of the building. He is also the first director of the opera house and the founder of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. Another statue in front of the building belongs to the world-famous Hungarian composer Ferenc Liszt.

The Hungarian Royal Opera, experiencing its golden age in its new building, has become a very prestigious opera with 45-50 different operas and more than 130 performances per year. Very important composers from around the world were guests here. Gustav Mahler was its director from 1888 to 1891, and Otto Klemperer from 1947 to 1950.

In the 1980s, the building underwent a major renovation and was opened for the second time on September 27, 1984, 100 years after it was first opened. Today, it still continues to operate very actively as the Hungarian State Opera. The opera season lasts from September to the end of June every year, and the Hungarian State Ballet ensemble also uses this place as the stage.