CUVILLIÉS-THEATER
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A sumptuous theatre, emblematic of South German rococo.
The Cuvilliés Theatre is known as the best rococo theatre in Germany. When Napoleon visited Munich in 1806 to mark Bavaria's new status as a kingdom, the Cuvilliés Theatre hosted two operas in his honour: Das unterbrochene Opferfest by Peter von Winter and Mozart's Don Giovanni. At this point, the theatre was already more than half a century old. In 1750, when a fire broke out in the Residenz Palace, burning down the entire royal theatre, Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria ordered the construction of a new opera house. When construction was completed, the theatre, which now bears the name of its Belgian architect François Cuvilliés, was celebrated as a jewel of rococo design. The magnificent venue has hosted countless performances of famous operas. Mozart's opera Idomeneo even had its world premiere in 1781. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, it entered a period of decline. The theatre was no longer reserved exclusively for the royal court, but was also open to the citizens of Munich. At that time, the theatre's rococo décor was considered a relic of the olden days. During the reign of King Ludwig I, the theatre company ceased to perform and all the interior fittings of the theatre were removed. For a time it was simply used as storage space for the neighbouring Nationaltheater. Today it is once again used for concerts and during the day for visitors.
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