Interval Halls

The walls of the hall are adorned with 13 impressive tapestries that bathe the room in an artistic, muted play of colors. These tapestries, with a total surface area of around 171 square meters, were produced over a period of six years by the Viennese tapestry manufactory and show scenes from Mozart's The Magic Flute - a work that also reflects the artistic concept and aesthetic orientation of the house. Thematically and in their design, they combine Viennese modernism with the tradition of the house.

The hall, originally known as the Gobelin Hall, was renamed in 1997 in honor of Gustav Mahler, the former director and conductor of the Vienna Court Opera. This significant step was taken to mark the centenary of Mahler's first directorship and his first performance at the house on the Ring. Mahler's influence on Viennese opera was revolutionary and formative. Under his direction, not only were the artistic standards raised to a new level, but the architectural and technical equipment of the house was also integrated into the design of the performances.

Today, the hall is not only an interval hall, but also an important stage for chamber music concerts, discussion and mediation events as well as auditions for the State Opera Orchestra. The Gustav Mahler Hall's furnishings, in particular the ensemble of tapestries, are complemented by striking architecture, whose wall design and room acoustics meet the high demands of concert operations and the wide variety of events. Events take place regularly, which are of great importance to both the audience and the artists.

The Gustav Mahler Hall also plays a central role in the preparations for the annual Vienna Opera Ball, one of the most famous balls in the world. Both the auditions and the rehearsals of the young ladies' and gentlemen's committee, the debutantes, are held here. This festive use of the space combines traditional cultural heritage with the dynamic architecture of the State Opera, which serves as an impressive backdrop for the opening of the ball.

The architect Otto Prossinger created the functional design of the hall and combined modern architecture with local building tradition. Heinz Leinfellner, a sculptor with Constructivist and Cubist influences, designed the marble inlays, and the Viennese manufacturer Bakalowits supplied the crystal chandeliers.

Originally, the magnificent Imperial Hall in the neo-Renaissance style, which served as a reception room for the aristocracy, stood on this site. A five-room official apartment for the "Hausinspector" was also located there. An interesting detail: from 1911 to 1920, the uncle of the later director Herbert von Karajan lived in this apartment. Today's stucco ceiling is reminiscent of the former Kaisersaal.

The Kaisersaal was once decorated with a Mozart medallion and a seven-part fresco cycle on Le nozze di Figarodeby the painter Eduard von Engerth. Three of the frescoes have been preserved and were transferred to the opera foyer during reconstruction.

The special decoration of the room are the marble inlays designed by Heinz Leinfellner, including large wall mosaics and smaller supraport overdoor motifs above the doors. The inlays consist of 13 types of marble from Europe and symbolise the desire for a united Europe.

The wall mosaics show everyday scenes from the opera. On the right-hand side you can see a director with a performing artist, the stage architecture, a choir rehearsal, the scenery depot and a wig maker. On the left-hand side you can see an artist's dressing room with an artist in front of a mirror, the props room, a dance rehearsal, musical instruments, the lacing floor and a costume rehearsal.

As the room was too small for the original number of visitors, annexes were added to the narrow sides to enable catering services for guests. Today, the Schwindfoyer is also used for direct catering. Since 2020, the loggia façade has also been illuminated by an LED lighting installation by Alexander Kada. Computer-controlled illuminated lines are used to display words and sentences - a modern means of communication that makes the opera visible and accessible to the whole city.

The three chandeliers in the foyer are remnants of the gas lighting before electrification: small wheels on each lamp are a reminder of how the gas supply was once regulated. The ornate medallions above the mirrors depict Maria Theresa and Leopold I - a symbol of the Habsburgs' closeness to the arts, created by sculptor Carl August Sommer.

Busts of important directors are placed at eye level, including Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Herbert von Karajan. Of particular note is the bust of Mahler, originally designed by Auguste Rodin, which was lost during the war and replaced by a copy. The most recent bust, showing Lorin Maazel, was unveiled in 2014.

The busts in the Schwindfoyer are by different artists, which explains their stylistic diversity. Anton Dietrich, a contemporary of Beethoven and Schubert, created idealized portraits of these two composers. The attention to detail in other busts, such as those of Meyerbeer and Boieldieu, reflects the artistic individuality of their creators.

The Schwind loggia is the external extension of the foyer, with a view of the city. The architect Sicardsburg wanted to remove the boundaries between inside and outside with arcades, so that the foyer also appears accessible to passers-by. Inside the loggia, frescoes depict scenes from Mozart's The Magic Flute. The lunettes depict Tamino, Pamina and the playful couple Papageno and Papagena, accompanied by animals and a small depiction of Mozart as a child sitting on Maria Theresa's lap.

The planned statues of composers were replaced by allegorical figures representing artistic principles such as fantasy, love and heroism. Four genii on the side walls represent the movements of a symphony, while medallions show mythological figures such as the Eumenide (goddess of revenge) and Komos (intoxication).

The upper lunette surfaces in the foyer show scenes from operas and musical pieces that were key pillars of the repertoire when the theater opened in 1869. Moritz von Schwind depicted moments from works such as Der Freischütz and Mozart's Magic Flute and used them artistically. At the request of Emperor Franz Joseph, Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf was included in the program - instead of Bellini's Norma. The commission under music critic Eduard Hanslick supervised the selection and thus helped to shape the style and repertoire canon of the opera.

The ceiling frescoes The Victory and The Battle for the Wreath are also by Moritz von Schwind. The floral wall paintings, on the other hand, are the work of Friedrich Sturm, an important artist specialising in ornamental and plant paintings, who also taught at the Vienna Angewandte.

In 2010, the Schwind Foyer even gained a stage presence when it was recreated as a faithful setting for a production of Tannhäuser- a symbolic reference to the architectural and cultural significance of the room in the history of opera.