Slovak National Theater, Bratislava

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The building which nowadays houses the Slovak National Theatre was constructed between 1884 and 1886.

It was desigend in a Neo-Renaissance style by the Viennese architects F. Fellner and H. Helmer. Since 1920 it has been the home of the Slovak National Theatre.

Directions:
The Slovak National Theatre is located at the Hviezdoslav Square (Hviezdoslavovo Namestie), just in the heart of the Old Town.

Website: http://www.snd.sk/

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The old Theater is a magnificent Neo-Renaissance building that fronts onto a pleasant tree lined boulevard, starting at Hviezdoslav Square, near the Danube. It was built in the 19th century during when Slovakia was still part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The new Slovak National Theater (which I missed) opened only recently in 2007, after being under construction for an incredible 21 years (due to funding problems rather than complexity).

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It is the oldest Slovak professional theatre. It has 3 sections, viz., drama, opera and ballet. It was founded in 1920 right after the creation of Czechoslovakia and was taken over by the state in 1945. Initially there was a fourth section, viz., the music section. The Slovak National Theatre is an impressive building, just in the old town and it is not possible to miss it if you are in the old town. The place is heavily crowded with tourist, every hour of the day.

Slovak National Theatre - Slovenské národné divadlo

Fronted by a tiny square the Slovak National Theatre is built on the location of the city's original professional theatre. The original theatre was built in 1776, with the present one following in 1886 in the spirit of the Neorenaissance. Today the building houses the Slovak Opera House and National Ballet. In 1888, a fountain with a bronze Ganymede astride an eagle was constructed in front of the theatre.

email snd@snd.sk

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Constructed in 1888 as the City Theater according to the design of the Viennese architects F. Fellner and H. Helmer. The busts of famous musical composers are preserved, placed in the oval openings in the façade, as well as the stone sculptural group the Muse of Thalia by the Viennese sculpture T. Friedl and putti, figures of children symbolising tragedy and comedy by V. Tilgner, author of the superb Ganymede’s fountain situated before the entrance to the theater. The fountain depicts Ganymede, borne by an eagle to Olympus, where he shall serve Zeus. As a reward he gains eternal youth, which to this day radiates from the boy’s joyful face. Today the building is the seat of the Slovak National Theater opera and ballet ensembles.

Diagonally opposite the SNT, and directly opposite the Hotel Carlton, is the secessionist Reduta, home of the Slovak National Philharmonic. This building, painted a bright cream colour, has many interesting architectural features and is home to a casino and restaurant as well. This is where all the classical music concerts are held and again these are very cheap compared with prices in other cities.

The Slovak National Philharmonic has been around now for 59 years and is highly regarded internationally. The box office is situated in the Reduta building and is open from Monday to Friday.
Wednesdays: 8.00am - 2.00 pm; other days: 1.00 pm - 7.00 pm. Their website is excellent and gives full details of all the chamber orchestras, choir and philharmonic as well as an online schedule and booking facility.

Between the river and the Old Town is Hviezdoslavovo Namestie, a long street with fountains and statues, which incorporates the lovely cobbled square containing the Slovak National Theatre. We spotted the theatre the minute we got out of the bus and were delighted to find that this was where we would be going to the ballet, later on in the evening. It's a cheery yellow colour which slightly offsets the formality of its neo-classical facade and the busts of Mozart, Goethe, Shakespeare and other artistic luminaries.

An evening performance of "Sleeping Beauty' gave us a chance to check out the interior and it was even more impressive than we expected. A completely circular auditorium with gold gilding everywhere - beautiful - and superb orchestra and dancers. All this cost EUR 20, a fraction of what it would cost in most European cities.

The box office for SNT is at Kommenske Square, just behind the building. Tickets for both opera and ballet, start at around EUR 18.

If you're an opera or ballet lover, this is the place to go. If you're not, at least admire the grand Neorenaissance style by the Viennese architects, constructed towards the end of the 19th century. It's really magnificent!

This is a very pleasant area for sitting out and people watching - the main concours is flanked by cafés with terraces, with fountains and trees and benches in the shade. The cafés are not exorbitantly priced, and make a great vantage point for walking people go by.

There is a great website about this place listed below. Just look for the English link in the upper right-hand corner and then find the history link and you'll learn a lot about the history of the place. The building dates from 1886 and the theatre company started in 1920 just after Czechoslovakia was formed after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From the beginning, the theatre featured performances of opera, ballet and drama.

I didn't go inside or see a performance here, but it's hard to miss its elegant facade in the popular Hviezdoslavovo Square.