Historical building of Slovak National Theatre

At that time the townspeople with the contribution of Count Csáky built the first stone theatre (1776) in approximately the same place as today's historical building of the SNT.

Location: Bratislavský region / Bratislava

Address: Gorkého 2, 810 02 Bratislava

Historical building of Slovak National Theatre

Box Office SND Historic Building
Hviezdoslavovo nám. Entrance from Jesenského street
tel.: + 421 2 204 94 290
tel.: + 421 2 204 94 890

e-mail: rezervacie@snd.sk

Hotline: +421 2 204 72 297

Mon - Fri: 8:30 am - 7:30 pm
Sat: 9:00 - noon, 1 hour before and ½ hour after the beginning of performance
Sun: 1 hour before and ½ hour after the beginning of performance

At that time the townspeople with the contribution of Count Csáky built the first stone theatre (1776) in approximately the same place as today's historical building of the SND. The importance of the city declines in the 19th century. The city theatre is rented by German and later Hungarian companies. However provincial circumstances cannot prevent dramaturgical readiness. Romanticism quickly triumphs here - Boieldieu's 'Jean de Paris' within a year and Weber's 'Freischütz' within four years after their Paris and Berlin premieres. Heinrich Marschner, working at that time as a teacher of music in Bratislava, has the premiere of his 'Kyffhäuserberg' (1816). In the 30's the Italian pre-Verdi bel canto appears on the posters (Rossini's 'Semiramide' and 'Otello', Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia', Bellini's 'Norma' and 'I Puritani'). 'Lohengrin' and 'Tanhäuser' are performed for the first time in Bratislava at approximately the same time when Boito and Faccio performed Wagner in Italy.

In 1886 the new building of the City Theatre is opened. It is built in Neo-Renaissance style according to the design of Helmer and Fellner's Vienna theatre architecture company. The opening performance is Erkel's 'Bánk bán' presented by the Budapest National Theatre Company. Verism quickly triumphs in this building, in the last year of the century Bruno Walter gains experience here as a teacher. At the beginning of the new century the Brno Opera presents a wide cross-section through the Czech classical opera and, for the first time in Bratislava, Tchaikovski's 'Eugen Onegin' and 'The Queen of Spades'.

In 1919 Bratislava becomes a part of the Czechoslovak Republic. In 1920 the professional Slovak National Theatre starts to work in the building of the City Theatre. It has theatre and opera companies. It starts its activities with the premiere of Smetana's 'The Kiss' on March 1, 1920.