Theater Basel

Theater Basel

founded as Basler Stadttheater
Address	Basel Switzerland
Owner	City government of Basel, Switzerland
Type	Municipal
Construction
Opened	-1834 (first building (as Basler Stadttheater)) -1875 (second building) -1909 (third building) -1975 (fourth building)
Demolished	7 October 1904 (2nd building destroyed by fire)
Years active	since 1834
Architect	-Melchior Berri (first building) -Johann Jakob Stehlin der Jüngere (second building)
Tenants
Opera and ballet companies (among other uses)
Website
www.theater-basel.ch

Theater Basel is the municipal theatre of the city of Basel, Switzerland, which is home to the city's opera and ballet companies. The theatre also presents plays and musicals in addition to operas and operettas.

Because the theatre does not have its own orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra Basel is usually contracted to perform for opera and ballet productions as needed. For baroque-opera productions, La Cetra, the baroque orchestra of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, is engaged.

History

File:Basel Theaterbrand 1904.jpg

Theater Basel's second theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1904 (postcard from 1904).

Theater Basel was founded in 1834 under the name Basler Stadttheater. The first theatre was designed by Swiss architect Melchior Berri.

In 1873 work on a new theatre began which was designed by Johann Jakob Stehlin der Jüngere. This second theatre opened in 1875 and was used until it was destroyed by fire on October 7th, 1904.

Plans for a third theatre were soon made, but it was five years before that the theatre finally opened in 1909.

The fourth theatre opened in 1975.

External links

• theater-basel.ch, official website of Theater Basel