History of the Redoutensäle
Construction of the Redoutensäle ceremonial rooms began in 1705 during the reign of Emperor Joseph I and grandiose baroque operas were performed there. In 1748 Empress Maria Theresa commissioned Jean Nicolas Jadot to redesign this part of the Hofburg Palace. Numerous concerts, "Redoutes" (masked balls) and the magnificent wedding banquet of Joseph II and Isabella of Parma took place in these rooms.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s 8th Symphony was first performed here, the composers Josef Strauss and Franz Liszt conducted concerts in these glittering rooms, and a number of smaller Mozart operas were also performed here.
The Redoutensäle were artistically restored after the fire of 1992, partly in their original design and partly in contemporary style. They were fitted with state-of-the-art conference facilities and re-opened in 1998. The decor in the Grosser Redoutensaal is the work of Josef Mikl who, as a member of the Austrian avant-garde, developed gestural painting in the 1950s together with Wolfgang Hollegha and Markus Prachensky. Mikl’s wall murals in the Grosser Redoutensaal depict scenes from his favourite authors Elias Canetti, Johann Nestroy und Ferdinand Raimund. His 404 m² ceiling painting incorporates 34 handwritten verses of Karl Kraus’ poem “Youth”, albeit in a form not visible to the viewer.
Read more about the Redoutensäle at http://www.hofburg.com
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