The ministerial commission is assessing the condition of the State Opera House in Prague

Prague - A group of architects from the Ministry of Culture (MK) is assessing the condition of the State Opera House in Prague (SOP), which is leaking. This, along with a loss of about eighteen million, according to Czech Radio, has led to unofficial reports that the MK is considering closing the building and that SOP is facing its last season. Radim Dolanský, who has been in charge of SOP since the end of last year, denies this.
    "A team of architects visited the building on Wednesday; once a study is created and results are available, we can comment on what will happen next. At this moment, the entire season is planned. We are all working at full capacity, and that will continue," Dolanský told ČTK today. He added that he is also preparing the entire season of 2011/2012.
    In the program Zblízka today on Radiožurnál, it was reported that according to testimonies from theater visitors, water has been leaking into the building at least since autumn. Pieces of plaster are allegedly falling from the ceiling near the dressing rooms. During performances, buckets can be seen on the polished marble floor, and plaster is also falling on the decorated lights by the audience seats. "It's a problem on the second balcony where water is leaking, but it's nothing serious. We need to wait for the ceiling to dry, and then the repair will take a few days," Dolanský stated.
    The MK announced at the end of last year that it plans to renovate the building and the SOP facilities. Employees of the opera will be informed about the work schedule and further activities of the ensemble in the spring of next year. "At this moment, I do not know the facts and the results of the study, so I cannot answer whether the renovation will take place while we are operating and similar questions," Dolanský said.
    This year, according to the MK, a tender will be held for the project documentation of the reconstruction of SOP, after which the ministry will announce a standard tender. The planned renovation, primarily of the technical background of the building costing tens of millions of crowns, could begin at the end of summer according to the ministry. Until then, the revised premiere of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor will be presented on March 10, along with the premieres of Verdi's Troubadour (May 26) and Adam's ballet Giselle (April 7) as previously scheduled. The last premiere of SOP was Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde on May 20.
    Former SOP chief Oliver Dohnányi resigned from his position on December 20. According to the ministry, the reason was partly the financial situation of the opera and partly the large planned renovation in the SOP building. Dohnányi, who had previously spoken about a deficit of over seven million crowns for SOP, stated that he resigned after long-term pressure from the ministry. Had he not resigned voluntarily, Minister Jiří Besser (for TOP 09) was reportedly preparing to dismiss him.
    Last year, SOP operated with a budget of 243 million crowns, of which 139 million crowns came from the MK. The state-subsidized organization SOP is intended to operate as an artistic competitor to the National Theatre. Its transfer to the capital city was considered. The financial problems of the opera have manifested in the past and in the plans for last year.