Editing Semperoper (section)

==History==
[[File:Dresden Hoftheater J C A Richter.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of the first opera house in 1841]]
[[File:Erstes Opernhaus Sempers ca1850 1860.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The first opera house, around 1850]]

The first opera house at the location of today's Semperoper was built by the architect [[Gottfried Semper]]. It opened on 13 April 1841 with an opera<!-- Der Freischütz? --> by [[Carl Maria von Weber]]. The building style itself is debated among many, as it has features that appear in three styles: early [[Renaissance]] and [[Baroque]], with [[Corinthian style]] pillars typical of Greek [[Neoclassical architecture|classical revival]]. Perhaps the most suitable label for this style would be [[eclecticism]], where influences from many styles are used, a practice most common during this period.<ref name="Loeffler" >Fritz Löffler: ''Das alte Dresden – Geschichte seiner Bauten''. 16th ed. Leipzig: Seemann, 2006, {{ISBN|978-3-86502-000-0}} {{in lang|de}}.</ref> The opera building, Semper's first, was regarded as one of the most beautiful European opera houses.
[[File:Fotothek df pk 0000156 013 Aufnahmen von M. Friedrichs, M. Fischer, Hermann Matern, Arno Schellenberg und F.jpg|thumb|260px|The Semperoper in July [[1945]].]]
[[File:Dresden hausmannsturm theaterplatz.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Semperoper with the Theatre Square, 2011]]

Following a devastating fire in 1869, the citizens of Dresden immediately set about rebuilding their opera house. They demanded that Gottfried Semper do the reconstruction, even though he was then in exile because of his involvement in the [[May Uprising in Dresden|May 1849 uprising in Dresden]]. The architect had his son, Manfred Semper, build the second opera house using his plans. Completed in 1878, it was built in [[Neo-Renaissance]] style. During construction, performances were held at the ''Gewerbehaussaal'', which opened in 1870.<ref name="Loeffler" />

The building is considered a prime example of [[Baroque Revival architecture]]. It is situated on the Theatre Square in central Dresden on the bank of the Elbe River. On top of the portal there is a Panther [[quadriga]] with a statue of [[Dionysos]]. The interior was created by architects of the time, such as [[Johannes Schilling]]. Monuments on the portal depict artists, such as [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]], [[Friedrich Schiller]], [[William Shakespeare]], [[Sophocles]], [[Molière]] and [[Euripides]]. The building also features work by [[Ernst Rietschel]] and [[Ernst Julius Hähnel]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Dresden Semperoper | date=7 October 2008| url=http://mostlyopera.blogspot.com/2008/10/dresden-semperoper.html| publisher=Mostly Opera | access-date=9 August 2009}}</ref> In the pre-war years, the Semperoper premiered many of the works of [[Richard Strauss]].

[[File:011 Dresden - Semperoper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Interior of the current opera house, 2013]]
[[File:SemperoperFotoThalerTamas.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Interior of the current opera house, 2023]]

In 1945, during the last months of World War II, the building was largely destroyed again, this time by the [[bombing of Dresden in World War II|bombing of Dresden]] and subsequent [[firestorm]], leaving only the exterior shell standing. Exactly 40 years later, on 13 February 1985, the opera's reconstruction was completed. It was rebuilt almost identically to its appearance before the war, but with the benefit of new stage machinery and an accompanying modern rear service building.<ref>{{cite web | title=Dresden Sights and Views – Semper Opera House – | url=http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Germany/dresden-semper-opera.html| publisher=sights-and-culture.com | access-date=9 August 2009}}</ref> The Semperoper reopened with the opera that was performed just before the building's destruction in 1945, Carl Maria von Weber's ''[[Der Freischütz]]''. When the [[2002 European floods|Elbe flooded in 2002]], the building suffered heavy water damage. With substantial help from around the world, it reopened in December of that year.