[„Sollen die Unterthanen die Majestät des Königes erkennen, so müssen sie begreiffen, daß bey ihm die höchste Gewalt und Macht sey, und demnach müssen sie ihre Handlungen dergestalt einrichten, damit sie Anlaß nehmen, seine Macht und Gewalt daraus zu erkennen. Der gemeine Mann, welcher bloß an den äußerlichen Sinnen hangt, und die Vernunfft wenig gebrauchet, kann sich nicht allezeit vorstellen, was die Majestät des Königs ist, aber durch die Dinge, so in die Augen fallen, und seine übrigen Sinnen rühren, bekommt er einen klaren Begriff von seiner Majestät, Macht und Gewalt.“]
Any expense that made the power and greatness of the ruler apparent in the truest sense of the word was therefore seen as a necessity that was well invested, as it brought multiple “consequential benefits”.
Generally, the Obersthofmeister (or the Obersthofmeisteramt as the central court authority) was responsible for festivities and their organization. The main actors (court poets and the staff of the court orchestra as well as the theater architects) were also under his supervision. They wrote, composed, built, sang and performed as part of their official duties, so that the court incurred no further costs for salaries (at least in theory). The fact that the annual salaries of the top artists (poeta cesareo, court conductor, prima donna and primo uomo) were in the “upper league” of the court is another matter.
However, stage sets, scenery and costumes were always expensive, as the Viennese court only built a permanent court theater (today: Redoutensäle) in 1705, which was used for only a few decades. And many of the Opere serie, serenades, Componimenti musicali etc. were performed in other venues and palaces or even outdoors (e.g. in the large park of the Favorita, today’s Theresianum). And in this case, it meant building a “theatrum” for this one event using lots of timber, mallets, nails, canvas, plaster and paint. And this came at a cost... No expense was spared on the costumes either, as real silk and brocade textiles, ostrich feathers, glass stones and glass pearls were used. Even though old costumes were re-tailored and refurbished, many things had to be made anew (especially as there were repeated complaints that the singers, and especially the female singers, did not return the costumes but used them to “enrich” their personal wardrobes). The cost of the lighting should also not be underestimated. Indeed, both the stage and the auditorium had to be magnificently illuminated – the stage and backdrops with particular stage lights to achieve special effects and the auditorium had also to be illuminated so that the emperor and distinguished guests did not have to sit in the dark, as the baroque theater was illuminated throughout (and the open-air performances anyway – including the park).
For the court of Charles VI, there exist useful data because he entrusted the organization of the performances to an “Appaltatore deren kayserlichen Operen”. In 1720, the “Appaltatore” received a lump sum of 56,000 florins for up to three operas, plus serenades, oratorios and holy sepulchres. If – as was the case in the Prague coronation year of 1723 – more musico-dramatic works were to be staged, these were remunerated with 18,707 florins for a grand opera in the grand court theatre (Großes Hoftheater), 16,105 florins for one in the small court theatre (Kleines Hoftheater) and 16,724 florins for one in the comedy hall (Comödiensaal) of the Favorita. If significantly higher costs were incurred, the tenant could apply for extra compensation (superplus) – whether and when this was approved and, above all, paid out was nonetheless up in the air or depended on the imperial “placet”.
Special events such as the production of Angelica vincitrice di Alcina, staged in 1716 for the birth of the heir to the throne Leopold, cost 80,000 fl. in total. Furthermore, the various musico-dramatic performances in the course of the Prague coronation in 1723 (including Costanza e fortezza) far exceeded this amount (even though the new “Appaltatore” Johann Wolfgang Haymerle had offered them for the “dumping price” of 50,000 fl). But one is only crowned King of Bohemia once in a lifetime, and as mentioned, when the “common man should recognize the majesty of the king”…
Since the Middle Ages, the Habsburgs had actually experienced an ever greater divergence between income and expenditure. As a result, they lived – like the state today – on credit: with the Fuggers or later with leading noble houses (Eggenberg, Schwarzenberg etc.), until finally Franz (I) Stephan was able to sustainably restructure the house finances in the second half of the 18th century. And while it was sometimes a burden to co-finance the ruling house, it was on the other hand a great dignity, a dignity with a lasting effect for the whole family and their networks. After all, given the centuries-long “tradition of budget deficits”, only a simpleton could think of repaying the borrowed money. But much better: the emperor did not pay in money and interest rates, but in titles, increases of status, the awarding of estates and dominions, positions at court itself, and so on. And this “economy of honor” was ultimately worth much more than money to the Habsburgs’ lenders.
Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, Szenenbild für Angelica vincitrice di Alcina, 2. Akt: "Isole orride, e disabitate occupate da diversi Mostri per incanto di Alcina", Wien [1716]
© KHM-Museumsverband, Theatermuseum, Wien, CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0
www.theatermuseum.at/en/object/985695/