Vienna Chamber Opera Closes with Double Bill – Indefinitely for Now

Josefine Göhmann took on both the title role of "Lady Magnesia" and the part of Armande in Martinů's piece. The baritone role of the servant Adolphus and Alexander was sung by Jacob Phillips, while Peter Kirk was cast as Sir George and Oskar. Timothy Edlin, Johann Ebert, and Wilma Kvamme completed the ensemble in the other roles. Set designer Manfred Rainer transformed the stage into a bedroom with beds on actual feet; the costumes were elaborate Rococo-science fiction creations.

Weinberg's "Lady Magnesia" is based on George Bernard Shaw's "Passion, Poison and Petrifaction" and combines jazz influences, late Romantic richness of sound with pre-recorded vocal tracks. Martinů's "Twice Alexander" is inspired by Mozart's "Così fan tutte" and is characterized by French Impressionism and folkloric influences. According to reports, the musical evening was a furious conclusion to an era.

Background: The End for the Chamber Opera

As early as January, Managing Director Franz Patay had announced that the Chamber Opera would "temporarily" cease operations. A one-year hiatus is now fixed, and a three-year closure is also being considered. The management hopes for a resumption of operations in the 2027/28 season but makes this dependent on renovation steps yet to be evaluated and the 2027 budget: "What comes after, as well as necessary renovation steps and their feasibility, will be evaluated and also depend on the 2027 budget."

The closure is the result of massive budgetary cuts. Vienna's Finance Councilor Barbara Novak (SPÖ) plans cuts between 13 percent and 308 million euros for the Culture and Science business group in the Medium-Term Financial Plan 2027. Culture Councilor Veronika Kaup-Hasler announced that she would not accept the cuts "without a fight": "At the moment, the signs point to confrontation." The Burgtheater and the Vienna State Opera have also had to calculate scenarios such as the closure of the Akademietheater or historical repertoire reductions.

A House with a Rich History

Nationally, the cultural budget is set to fall from 629.8 million euros to 520 million euros in 2029, a decrease of almost 20 percent, according to the current financial framework. Minister of Culture Andreas Babler (SPÖ) has not yet commented on specific measures. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) will present the double budget for 2027/28 in parliament on June 10.

Artistic Director Stefan Herheim, who leads the Chamber Opera and the Theater an der Wien, was responsible for 19 predominantly successful productions. In a "Kurier" interview, he warned that "hasty austerity decisions" would cast long shadows, especially since every euro invested in culture in Vienna brings back triple the amount. He called on politicians for more "expertise" and less "symbolic politics."

Protest and Petition

The Chamber Opera was founded in 1953 by Hungarian conductor Hans Gabor and is considered a talent incubator: Angela Gheorghiu began her international career here through the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, and Lotte de Beer, the current director of the Volksoper, and Eberhard Waechter, later director of the Vienna State Opera, performed here. Baritone Adrian Eröd sang Britten's "Billy Budd" at the Chamber Opera in 1996.

Protests against the closure are mounting: 3,500 people have signed a petition to preserve the institution. The Chamber Opera was recently nominated for the Austrian Music Theater Award for its production "Letters from Ruth," which will be presented in early September. The cancellation fees for productions that will no longer take place amount to 65,000 euros, and further performances had already been planned and contractually fixed.

According to the theater management, the final premiere of this season is "the last for an indefinite period." The planned opening of an atelier house on the listed Otto Wagner site in autumn 2027 and a children's cultural center in Floridsdorf in 2028 remain unaffected by the cuts but cannot compensate for the loss of the small venue.