Peters Operncafe

At the Vienna State Opera, the premiere of Cerha's "Baal" took place. The leading lady was Kammersängerin Martha Mödl, the legendary Leonore in "Fidelio" at the reopening of the State Opera in 1955. At 22:30, after the "Baal" performance, Peter's Opera Cafe Hartauer was opened with guest of honor KS Martha Mödl.

Peter's Opera Cafe Hartauer is neither a bar, a restaurant, nor a coffee house in the traditional sense. Peter's Opera Cafe Hartauer is an institution. Peter, an opera aficionado and enthusiast, founded the cafe as a place for all opera lovers to meet and discuss opera.

Over the years the guest book reads like a "Who's Who" of the opera world: Rita Streich, Elisabeth Höngen, Leonie Rysanek, Erna Berger, Patricia Wise, Jarmila Novotna, Hilde Zadek, Magda Olivero, Mimi Coertse, Inge Borkh, Anneliese Rothenberger, Agnes Baltsa, José Carreras, Franco Corelli, Alfredo Kraus, Thomas Moser; also talented young stars such as Eva Lind, Yelda Kodalli, Angelika Kirchschlager, Regina Renzowa and many others are, and were guests.

Kammersängerin Ljuba Welitsch - La Welitsch - The Salome of the Century - was a regular guest at Peter's Opera Cafe Hartauer.

Not only singers, many other great personalities of the music world have been, and are guests - Lenny Bernstein,

Herbert von Karajan, Fabio Luisi, Lothar König, as well as Klaus Maria Brandauer, Gusti Wolf, Hilde Krahl, Wilfried Baasner, George Staudacher, Marianne Schönauer and many, many others.

Together with Ljuba Welitsch, Peter founded and endowed the International Competition for Up and Coming Young Opera Singers. The singing competition was morally supported by the former mayor of Vienna Helmut Zilk and his wife Dagmar Koller.

In Peter's Opera Cafe Hartauer the Carreras Fanclub and the José Carreras Leukemia Foundation were founded by and with José Carreras.

The walls are covered with postcards and photos of opera stars from earlier times. Nothing has changed. The guest enters a place where time seems to stand still, where the bustle of the city disappears and one can surrender themself to the wonderful music - historical recordings, rarities great operatic voices. While listening to classical music, you can enjoy fine wines, small dishes or something sweet - a homemade "Othello".

On 25 September 2011 Peter's Opera Cafe Hartauer celebrated its 30th anniversary.