On the death of Hellmuth Matiasek: The powerful

Created: 04/10/2022Updated: 04/10/2022, 16:12

By: Sabine Dultz

Hellmuth Matiasek, director, artistic director, teacher and author, has died at the age of 90.

© dpa

He directed the Munich Gärtnerplatztheater, the Otto Falckenberg School and the Bavarian Theater Academy.

Now Hellmuth Matiasek, the director, artistic director, teacher and author, has died in Rosenheim at the age of 90.

"If our time wants to deny me, then let it happen calmly.

I come from other times and hope to go to others.” With this quote from Franz Grillparzer, Hellmuth Matiasek answered the question about his motto in life.

Now he, the director, theater director, teacher, author, has died in Rosenheim at the age of 90.

He had lived nearby, at the Rinklhof, a magnificent Bavarian retreat, with his wife Cornelia Froboess, to whom he had been married since 1967.

Hellmuth Matiasek was born in Vienna in 1931

A lovable, a clever, a witty and noble man who had nothing to do with the often loud nature of his colleagues in the artistic director, especially the Munich colleagues.

Because especially in Munich Matiasek left his artistic mark.

The Austrian, born on May 15, 1931 in Vienna, was 13 years old.

From 1983 to 1996 he directed it - cleverly, prudently, unspectacularly, but often with theatrical force, artistic success and the unconditional defense of the independence of the house against the covetous annexation by the Munich State Opera competition.

Matiasek headed the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich for 13 years

Because at that time there was a real threat that the General Manager August Everding would seize the Bürger-Bühne in order to incorporate it as the lower house of the Bavarian State Opera.

With a specifically Viennese politeness, with diplomacy, sophistication and charm, Matiasek knew how to prevent this.

Quite simply, which is known to be difficult to do, he brought out a few successful productions that firmly anchored the Gärtnerplatztheater as the Munich Volksoper in the consciousness of the people of the Bavarian plateau.

What Everding could also be used for: he staged “My Fair Lady” with Cornelia Froboess as Eliza at the house.

A legendary, always sold-out performance.

With the opera "Der Goggolori" by Wilfried Hiller and Michael Ende, Matiasek created another evergreen.

With the successful productions “Zar und Zimmermann” and “The Bartered Bride”, he made it clear from the beginning of his directorship where he would lead this house.

Some viewers may still remember "Khovanshchina", "Tiefland" or "Odysseus's Return".

Or the wonderful "Manon" as well as Matiasek's farewell production of "Falstaff".

But he also reacted clearly politically: At the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991, he was the only theater director in the city who immediately adapted the program to current events and canceled "The Merry Widow".

Or the wonderful "Manon" as well as Matiasek's farewell production of "Falstaff".

But he also reacted clearly politically: At the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991, he was the only theater director in the city who immediately adapted the program to current events and canceled "The Merry Widow".

Or the wonderful "Manon" as well as Matiasek's farewell production of "Falstaff".

But he also reacted clearly politically: At the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991, he was the only theater director in the city who immediately adapted the program to current events and canceled "The Merry Widow".

In Salzburg he met Cornelia Froboess, whom he married in 1967

It might seem strange that the director terminated his contract two years early.

To everyone's surprise, he announced in 1994 that he would be leaving the office in 1996, which he had led so successfully.

The reason?

“My decision is more of a preventive measure.

I would like to reach the end of my artistic directorship in full fun and in the best of health.

I don't want to run any other theater either.” The merger with the Bavarian State Opera was off the table.

There was no longer any such threat.

We would have also “ignited a peasant war like it has never happened here in Munich.

With scythe and pitchfork".

Hellmuth Matiasek was and remained a sought-after man

After these 13 years at Gärtnerplatz, however, it was far from over for Matiasek.

He was Munich, he was deeply fond of Bavaria.

After all, he had been in charge of the Falckenberg School here from 1972 to 1978.

He had trained his managerial skills elsewhere – at the Landestheater Salzburg, where he met Cornelia Froboess, at the Staatstheater Braunschweig and in Wuppertal.

But now, after the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich, things continued with the theater academy, of which he became president, with the Orff Festival in Andechs, with involvement in the various cultural-political committees.

Hellmuth Matiasek was and remained a sought-after man.

He never loudly pushed himself to the fore, everything was done with a certain understatement.

This was also reflected in his appearance.

It was only at second glance that one realized how exclusive this man was, who wanted one thing above all from his successor in office: "that he be a person with whom one would like to have a glass of wine."