Staatstheater Wiesbaden
Mentioning my passion for opera to new acquaintances has elicited a near-universal comment on how fortunate it is that there are multiple houses in the region. A good handful of people piqued my interest by following this remark with: "Have you been to the house in Wiesbaden yet?" While Frankfurt sits preeminent among the companies within easy traveling distance, local consensus seems to be that Wiesbaden is, by some margin, the most beautiful house. And on Tuesday, I found out why.
Cupola
Here are the ceiling painting and chandelier as seen from my seat in the second tier:
These putti may look baroque, but they're really neo-baroque: the house was built in 1894 at the behest of Emperor Wilhelm II, whose arms are still on one of the best boxes.
In 1902, because, it seems, the emperor found the theater insufficiently grand (!), a foyer was added. I stumbled across this foyer while looking for refreshment at the interval. I believe my jaw may have dropped.