After pulling down the first opera house at the Salvatorplatz in 1802, King Max I. Joseph commissioned his architect Carl von Fischer to build a new "royal court and national theatre" at the Max-Joseph-Platz. The neo-classical opera house was built in 1811 - 18 but burned down 5 years later. The Munich people believed that it was devine retribution for building the opera house on the site of a secularized Franciscan monastry. Fischer died in 1823 and Leo von Klenze restored the theatre according to the original design only in 2 years. The pediment of the portico with 8 Corinthian coloumns shows Apollo and the Muses by Georg Brenninger, the glass mosaic of the other pediment above depicting Pegasus and the Horae, desinged by Ludwig von Schwanthaler.
The foyer decorated in white, blue and gold as well as the red and golden auditorium with its five tiers of seating and the
King's box are really worth seeing. Originally the theatre was used for plays and operas. But when under King Ludwig II.
the first performances of his admired Wagner operas "Tristan and Isolde", the "Mastersingers", "Rhinegold" and "Valkyrie"
were given in the National Theatre it became more and more an opera house.
During the Second World War the opera house burned
down except the outer walls and had to be rebuilt. In 1963 it could be reopened by performing the opera "Woman without
shadow" of Richard Strauss. Among the famous conductors who have conducted operas here have been Hans von Bülow,
Bruno Walter and Hans Knappertsbusch. At the moment Zubin Mehta is the conductor of the Bavarian State Orchestra.
The most special event in the theatrical season is the Munich Opera Festival, held every year in summer. During this festival
one performance is shown on a big screen outside of the theatre free of charge. This event is known as "Oper für Alle".
S-Bahn (S1 - S8) to Marienplatz
U-Bahn (U3 - U6) to Odeonsplatz
Tram No. 19 to Max-Joseph-Platz
Bus 53 to Odeonsplatz