Semperoper

Stand on the wide cobbles of the Theaterplatz and let your eyes travel upward. The stone in front of you is a warm, honey-coloured sandstone, darkened in places to almost black. Pigeons move between the columns. Behind you, the river Elbe slides past, and somewhere a tram bell rings. This is the Semperoper, Dresden's opera house, and it stands at the very heart of the old royal city.

The building takes its name from its architect, Gottfried Semper. He was one of the most influential German architects of the nineteenth century, and he also wrote about how buildings should be made and dressed. But here is the first surprise. The opera house you are looking at is not Semper's original. It is the second version he designed for this square. And what you see today is, in large part, a careful rebuilding of that second version.

The story begins in 1841, when Semper's first theatre opened on this spot. It was admired across Europe. Its curved front followed the round shape of the auditorium inside, so the outside of the building told you what happened within. For a few years, this first house was one of the most exciting stages on the continent. A young conductor named Richard Wagner worked here as a court music director.

Several of Wagner's early operas had their first performances in that first building. These included Rienzi, The Flying Dutchman, and Tannhäuser. Then politics arrived. In 1849, a revolutionary uprising broke out in Dresden. Both Wagner and Semper took part on the side of the rebels. When the uprising failed, both men had to flee the city. It is a strange thought — the composer and the architect of this opera house, escaping together as wanted men.

In 1869, the first theatre burned down. Dresden wanted a new opera house, and despite his past, the city turned again to Semper. He was living in exile at the time, so the work on site was supervised by his son, Manfred Semper. The second opera house was completed in 1878. It was larger and grander than the first, but it kept the idea of a curved central front. Look at the middle of the facade now, and you can see that rounded form.

Now raise your eyes to the very top of the central arch. There, in dark bronze, a chariot is pulled by four panthers. Riding it are Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and theatre, and Ariadne, his companion. Most visitors expect horses on a monument like this. The panthers are the detail many people miss. They connect the building to the wild, festive world from which ancient theatre grew.

Come down to the entrance level. On either side, you will find statues of two great German writers, Goethe and Schiller. Their presence is a statement. This was a house not only for music, but for drama and poetry as well. Around the facade, more figures and carvings stand in niches and along the cornices. Take a moment to walk slowly along the front and notice how much sculpture sits in the stone.

The second opera house became a place where history was made in sound. In the early twentieth century, the composer Richard Strauss chose Dresden for many of his premieres. Salome had its first performance here in 1905. Elektra followed in 1909, and Der Rosenkavalier in 1911. These works shocked, delighted, and divided audiences. For a time, opera lovers across Europe watched this stage closely to see what would come next.

The orchestra that plays here is the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Saxon State Orchestra. Its roots go back to the year 1548, which makes it one of the oldest orchestras in the world. Think about that for a moment. Musicians from this ensemble were playing for the Saxon court long before this building existed. The opera house is young compared with the orchestra that lives inside it.

Then came February 1945. In the bombing raids that destroyed much of Dresden, the opera house was burned out. Only the shell of the walls remained. For decades, the ruin stood here beside the river. Reconstruction began in the late 1970s, during the years of the German Democratic Republic, the former East Germany. Builders and craftsmen used old plans and photographs to bring Semper's design back.

The opera house reopened on 13 February 1985 — exactly forty years after the night of the bombing. The opening work was Der Freischütz, an opera by Carl Maria von Weber, a composer closely linked to Dresden. The date was chosen with great care. It turned the anniversary of destruction into a night of return. Many people in the city still remember that evening.

Inside, if you join a tour or attend a performance, look closely at the marble. Much of it is not real stone. It is a type of painted plaster, made to imitate marble, a technique valued in the nineteenth century. And above the stage, look for the unusual clock. It does not move smoothly. Instead, it shows the time in jumps of five minutes. Legend has it that the clock was made this way so audiences would not be distracted by a ticking hand during a performance. The building faced one more test in 2002, when the Elbe flooded and water entered the lower levels. Once again, it was repaired.

Before you leave, turn slowly in a full circle. To one side stands the Zwinger, the baroque palace complex, with a gallery wing also designed by Semper. Nearby rise the Catholic Court Church and the royal palace. In the centre of the square, a king sits on horseback above you. Together, these buildings frame the Theaterplatz like the walls of a vast outdoor stage.

So take one last look at the curved front and the panthers in the sky. Listen for the trams, the voices, perhaps a rehearsal leaking through a door. Twice this building has burned, and twice it has come back. As you walk away toward the river, notice how the sandstone changes colour as the light moves. It is the same stone, still standing here.