Divadlo v Kotcích

The Divadlo v Kotcích, German Theater an der Kotzen, in English more usually Kotzen Theatre, was a Prague theatre and opera venue on v Kotcích street, which had its heyday 1739-1783 as the first public theatre in Prague and a home of Italian opera.^[1] For many seasons it was run by Italian impresarios Santo Lapis, then Giovanni Battista Locatelli, who staged Gluck's Prague Ezio, 1750, and other works.^[2] The more correct "Theater an der Kotzen" was often colloquially referred to as the "Kotzentheater," Kotzen being a Slavonic-German term for a market.^[3] It closed in 1783 for safety reasons.^[4]

It was preceded by Count Sporck's Theatre 1724-1735, and succeeded by Count Nostitz' "Nostitzsches National Theatre," now the Estates Theatre, "Stavovské divadlo," which opened on 21 April 1783. The current National Theatre, "Národní divadlo" did not open until 1881.

References

1. ^ National theatre in northern and eastern Europe, 1746-1900 Page 231 Laurence Senelick - 1991 "to use the term vlastenske divadlo, ie 'patriotic theatre': in German vaterldndisches Theater. ... private theatre in Prague opened in Count Sporck's palace, followed, in 1 739, by the first public theatre, the Kotzen Theatre."
2. ^ History of performances in Czech
3. ^ The opera theater of Count Franz Anton von Sporck in Prague - Page 72 Daniel E. Freeman - 1992 "Already by 1737 there were firm plans to construct a new permanent theater in the Old City of Prague in the "Kotzen," which at that time meant a market or bazaar.85"
4. ^ Opera v Praze Alexandr Buchner - 1985 "It was reconstructed from the old market hall. Its first director was Santo Lapis, impressario of the Italian operatic society. The V Kotcích Theatre was discontinued in 1783 for safety reasons."