Rolf Mares, the director of the Hamburg State Opera from
1974–1988, died on 1 May, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reports.
A reserved man with a dry sense of humor, Mares was deeply involved in the cultural life of the city, the press agency reports, serving as president of the soccer team Hamburger Sport-Vereins (HSV) and running the theater Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus in recent years. He was named senator for culture in the current German government, but was unable to serve because of a long battle with leukemia.
As director of the State Opera, Mares oversaw a period of change, with a series of music directors, groundbreaking music theater from the likes of director-designer Robert Wilson and stagings in unconventional settings. According to DPA, he was a formidable negotiator, applying pressure or drawing on his considerable charm as the situation required.
Before arriving at the State Opera, Mares was an administrator at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus and the Thalia Theater, both in Hamburg.
— Ben Mattison
"Früher Hamburger
Operndirektor Rolf Mares gestorben"
Deutsche Presse Agentur (Via Yahoo
Deutschland) - 1 May 2002
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