The Vienna Opera opened its doors in 1869, becoming a source of spiritual food for the aristocracy and high society. The opera drama Don Juan was timed to coincide with the opening. Since then, all admirers of art have dreamed of getting into the Vienna Opera, and romantic girls prepared in advance for the balls and chose the most beautiful dresses. From the first day of work, the attraction did not change the address, but it is already impossible to find out how the building was originally conceived, since the Austrian capital was severely destroyed during the war years, and the opera was completely destroyed.
Interesting to know! At the end of the 20th century, when the Vienna Opera House was restored, romantic balls resumed, for some time artists with Russian roots soloed in the troupe.
Photo: Vienna Opera.
Theater in Vienna – A Landmark with a Rich History
Theatrical art at the Austrian court in Vienna appeared in the 17th century, theatrical performances were held on various stages. The performances were distinguished by pomp, these were mainly works by Italian authors. Only in the 19th century the construction of the premises began, where the troupe was located in the future. The authors of the project were architects from Austria – August Zikard von Zikardsburg and Eduard van der Null.
Good to know! In the spring of 1869, the doors of the theater were solemnly opened, the event was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph, as well as his wife.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Habsburg dynasty was a patron of theatrical art in Vienna, so the theater was called the Court.
Throughout the 19th century, the best works of authors of ballets and operas, operettas were staged on the stage. In the mid-19th century, the troupe settled in a building that for many years had the status of the best theater building in the world. From 1875 to 1897 the main conductor was Hans Richter, under whose direction such works as Othello, The Ring of the Nibelung, Tristan and Isolde were staged. By the end of the 19th century, public interest in theatrical art increased markedly, the number of performances increased.
Interesting to know! Under the direction of the chief conductor Mahler (1897-1907), the opera in Vienna was recognized as the best European theater.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a landmark in Vienna received the status of a state, however, officially the name “Vienna State Opera” was fixed in 1938.
During the war, the productions were performed by the famous conductors of Austria and Germany: Kraus, Boehm, Furtwengler. Under their guidance, the most famous creations of Mozart, Verdi and Beethoven sounded on the stage, and by 1944 the whole repertoire of Strauss was staged.
The year 1945 was tragic in the history of the sights in Vienna – as a result of aerial bombardment, the building was completely destroyed. But even in such a difficult period, the troupe continued to perform. Restoration work has been actively conducted for ten years. At the end of the reconstruction, the theater was opened in the autumn of 1955, and the production of Fidelio was timed to the festive event. In the same year, restored the good tradition of the ball annually. Since then, the audience’s interest in the state opera has not waned, the hall with a capacity of 2209 people is always full, seats are reserved in advance.
Architecture and Design
The building in Vienna is on the list of the main attractions of the Austrian capital. According to the drawings, it becomes clear how large-scale and beautiful the project was conceived. The magic and magic of graphics managed to translate into reality. Nevertheless, after the completion of construction work, the public expressed violent protests, which the emperor also joined. The facade was called overloaded, heavy, the external and internal design – excessively eclectic.
The facade is decorated with elements from the work “The Magic Flute”, openwork arches, impressive columns. In the evening, the building is beautifully illuminated. The interior of the opera is richly decorated. Guests climb the front staircase. The ceilings of the theater are decorated with paintings, but the attention of guests is attracted not only by the elaborate decor, but also by a luxurious chandelier, which is compared with the sun. For the design of the boxes, fabric was used, so a feeling of chamberness is created.
It should be noted the excellent acoustics in the hall, comfortable chairs, virtuosic skill and talent of artists and the Vienna Opera Orchestra.
Interesting to know! The design of the project was influenced by the architecture of the Grand Paris Opera Garnier. The area of the opera in Vienna is 8560 sq.m. or 78% of the area of the Paris theater. The capacity of the hall is 3000 seats, as in La Scala.
In addition to the annual luxury ball, the State Opera Company in Austria presents at least 60 productions, concerts and solo performances are held. Premieres appear annually in the repertoire, in the season 2017/2018 it was the Player, Lulu, Samson and Delilah, Death of Danton, the Free shooter.
Viennese Ball
The ballroom season in Austria begins in January and lasts until February, it is not surprising that all the inhabitants of the country have tailcoats and evening dresses. The ball in the Austrian opera is considered the most prestigious. It is comparable in importance to an important diplomatic device, and therefore the president of the country visits him annually.
Facts about the Vienna Ball:
- The first event was held at the beginning of the 19th century;
- after reconstruction, the first ball was held at the beginning of winter in 1877;
- The event is traditionally opened by 180 professional couples-dancers;
- newcomers are entrusted with performing the polonaise;
- the last to dance the Viennese Waltz;
- Mandatory dress code for men – dress coat, for women – evening dress.
First of all, you need to buy the appropriate outfit, learn the classical dance, best of all the waltz, buy tickets, find a partner who is quite experienced in dancing. It should be noted that the places for the event are being sold out long before the event, for several months they have not been available either at the box office or on the site. Of course, you can try to contact resellers, but the cost will be much higher than declared.
Practical information:
- ticket costs 315 €;
- for guests in the box – 23.6 €;
- table for 6 guests – 1260 €;
- table for 4 people – 840 €;
- The date of the event in 2019 is February 28;
- detailed information on the official resource: www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/.
How to get there
The public opera in Vienna is followed by any public transport:
- metro – lines U1, U2, U4, the next point is Karlsplatz station;
- bus number 59A, stop Opernring;
- tram number 1, 2, 62, 65 and D, stop Opernring.
Dress code
For a visit to the Vienna Opera there is a special theatrical uniform. When it comes to attending a regular performance, there are no special requirements for guests. Of course, it is necessary to show a sense of proportion and not to wear too open a sundress or shorts. It is quite enough to choose comfortable casual clothes. Women often buy evening dresses for a visit to the Vienna Opera. It’s not obligatory.
Outerwear must be taken to the wardrobe. Spectators who have a ticket to the pew may not go to the wardrobe, but leave outer clothing in a small hallway. Outdoor shoes are also left in the wardrobe.
Good to know! After the third call, late spectators are not allowed into the hall. In the intermission there is a buffet where they sell snacks, champagne.
Types of tickets and their cost
A visit to the State Opera in Vienna is available not only to residents of the Austrian capital, but also to everyone. The main thing is to book seats in advance, this can be done on the official resource two months before the event. Those wishing to attend a specific production are included in the “waiting list”.
The cost of a visit to the Vienna Opera is from 10 € to 240 €. Cheap tickets only allow the viewer to hear artists, but they won’t be able to see what is happening on stage. There is a way to visit the Vienna Opera inexpensively. For this you need to purchase “standing” tickets, their cost is 2-4 €. Sell them at the box office located on Operngasse Street. Remember that the number of spectators who can watch a performance while standing is limited – about a hundred pieces. The sale starts 1.5 hours before the start of the performance, but it is advisable to take the turn for 4 hours, this will guarantee a visit to the Vienna Opera Hall.
The essence of early booking is as follows – on the official website of the Vienna Opera a waiting list is formed, when the sale of tickets for the selected performance begins, the right to pay the reservation is received by the spectators who were the first to be on the waiting list.
Online purchase algorithm:
- go to the site of attractions in Vienna;
- register;
- upon registration, you should indicate the email address where the information will be received, as well as the card number with which payment is made.
For those who are planning to attend a state opera in Vienna for the first time, it can be difficult to get a ticket. First you need to select a date, time, view the names of the productions. Now you can proceed to the selection and purchase of tickets, if you click the “Purchase tickets” button, a diagram of the hall appears, where empty seats are indicated, it is enough to navigate the price category.
It’s important to know! Prices depend on several criteria: the level of the performance, the actors involved in it, the location of the place relative to the stage.
Be sure to indicate the age category – adult or child. After selecting all the parameters you just need to click on the selected location. For payment you need to enter the payment details. If the payment is successful, the system will notify you. The reservation is sent to the e-mail indicated during registration, it contains all the important information – the date and time of the performance, the audience. The document must be printed and carried with you.
On the day of visiting the opera in Vienna, you need to go to the box office, where they exchange electronic documents for valid tickets. If the electronic version has a barcode, changing the document is not necessary.
Important nuances:
- if you have not taken your reservation with you, they will issue a ticket at the box office, for this you need to give a surname;
- the document can be picked up in advance, for this you should contact the box office located in the lobby of the theater, it opens an hour before each performance;
- booking for a child does not require a document, small spectators are given a temporary ticket at the same ticket office, the child must be with his parents.
A visit to an opera in Vienna (Austria) cannot be called a cheap pleasure, but despite this, there is always a full house at every performance in the hall, so tickets must be reserved in advance. The cost of seats depends on the category of the performance.
- Category A – performances for true connoisseurs and gourmets, this group includes premieres and performances with the participation of world stars. As you know, art requires sacrifice, so visiting a category A performance will cost a lot.
- Group B – such performances can be called the “golden mean”, because this is the optimal ratio of musical pleasure and value.
- Group C – these are low-cost performances designed for a wide range of viewers. The price is low, but this does not mean that the quality of the performance is low.
Good to know! The repertoire of the opera in Vienna is more than fifty productions. You can attend the performance for nine months – from September. The main place in the poster is devoted to the works of Mozart.
Practical information
1. Vienna Opera Address: Wiener Staatsoper GmbH, Opernring 2, 1010, Wien.
2. The schedule of the theater box office: weekdays – from 8-00 to 18-00, weekends – from 9-00 to 12-00.
3. Excursions at the Vienna Opera are held every day. The duration of sightseeing visits is 40 minutes, at this time tourists are invited backstage to inspect the building. Believe me, the excursion is not inferior in strength of emotions to visiting a theatrical performance, because the theater is an architectural monument of Austria. The exact schedule is presented on the official website, daily tours are conducted in Russian.
Ticket Price:
- for adults – 4 €,
- for students – 2.5 €,
- for children – 1,5 €.
They can be purchased a quarter of an hour before the excursion program.
Prices on the page are for January 2019.
Vienna Opera for children
The theater in Vienna is implementing programs aimed at introducing children to art. For children of school age, they conduct excursions, dance master classes, and performances prepared by small actors. Gifted children are invited to a ballet school or choral group. Children’s Opera performances are held on the main stage, as well as on the roof.
The Vienna Opera is rightfully considered the guardian of the centuries-old traditions of classical theater art, and the theater building has been a symbol of Austria for many decades.
