Company Remake

       For the German State Opera (Staatsoper), it all began in 1991 when Georg Quander came in as director and Barenboim as musical director. Major changes were implemented under their leadership, including reworking the repertoire, developing a corporate design, and creating a new image for the house, focusing on the relationship between tradition and the avant-garde.

       The opera house, which seats twelve hundred, was founded by Kaiser Frederick II in 1742 and could be called a mixture of Baroque and Louis of Bavaria styles. Quander modified its facade, restoring the original twelve columns and the Greek frescoes, and completely refurbished the interior in cream and gold with red upholstery.

       He also changed the name of the opera house--from Staatsoper to Staatsoper Unter Den Linden (Unter Den Linden is the main street in eastern Berlin, where the opera house and several palaces, museums, and universities are located). This change both signals a new start and reasserts the company's position in relation to its rival in western Berlin, the Deutsche Oper Berlin. To further bolster the company's image, Quander and Barenboim are inviting artists and conductors from many nations to perform and are adding a number of international works to its repertoire.

       Former Paris Opera étoile Michael Denard was named ballet director, with an initial three-year contract, in September 1992. Béjart had been offered the position, but since he already owned a well-known company, Ballet de Lausanne, and was on tour much of the year, he recommended Denard, for whom he had created many roles at the Paris Opera. Denard was born in Dresden, Germany, and after the war his family migrated to Paris, where he studied dance at the National Conservatory. After working in the company of Pierre Lacotte and Gislaine Themar, he entered the Paris Opera Ballet and quickly became a key dancer. He later guested with companies the world over, and with his German origins, he seems ideal for his new post.