Vienna

Get to know the Vienna Opera House, a magical place

When we think of an Opera House in the world, two of them possibly come to mind, the Garnier Opera House in Paris and the Vienna Opera House, the building we are going to talk about today in this article.

The Vienna Opera is perhaps the most famous in the world and one of the first opera references within this musical genre.

Visiting the Vienna State Opera is possible thanks to a guided tour, which is conducted in several languages, and which even takes you to the back of the stage so you don’t miss a thing.

History of the Vienna State Opera

Vienna - OperaAfter several years of construction, the Vienna State Opera building was the first to be completed among those planned on the Ringstrasse .

It was inaugurated in 1869 with a performance of Don Juan, by Mozart, in the presence of Francisco José I and Empress Isabel.

Despite the majesty of the building, which today impresses everyone, the Viennese of the time did not like it too much, to the point that one of its architects, Eduard van der Nüll, committed suicide tormented by not having met expectations.

In the years that followed, the popularity of the Opera grew until the fateful Second World War, during which many of its workers were killed and even the building was damaged by bombing.

When it was finished, in 1945 it began to be rebuilt. Only the main façade, the hall and the main staircase had been saved. The rest had been destroyed. In 1955 it reopened its doors with the representation of Fidelio, by Beethoven.

How to visit the Vienna State Opera

Vienna - Opera InsideIf you go to Vienna, it is almost mandatory to be part of one of the guided tours that tour the Vienna State Opera.

And how could it be less, you have one in Spanish so you don’t lose detail. It will undoubtedly captivate you and the time dedicated to the visit will be very short.

The visit begins in the entrance hall, where the groups are formed, and continues up the imposing main staircase to see the Tea Room, the Marble Room and of course the stalls.

The seating area has capacity for 2,800 people and you can also visit the stage and its ins and outs.

Vienna - Opera BallYou will be able to observe something that you cannot see in other opera buildings in the world, such as the mechanisms to change the sets or the detail of what we do not see when we attend a performance as an audience.

During the visit, the guide will tell you the history of the building and the institution, its architecture, various anecdotes and other interesting information that you will surely listen to with great attention.

They will also tell you how the stalls are transformed every February for the famous and select Opera Ball (Opern Ball in German).

By the way, although many believe it to be so, this is not the place where the New Year’s Concert is held.

Attend a performance at the Opera

For lovers of good music, this is one of the main things to do in Vienna. Even if you think otherwise, attending as a public does not have to be expensive.

If you have no problem, you can buy a ticket in the best seats or even boxes, but if your pocket is limited you can also attend, for even €3, yes, without a guaranteed seat and without advance sale, so you will have to stand in line to buy them on the day of the function.

If you go in summer, you should know that in July and August there are no performances but you can take a guided tour.

You can get more information, especially schedules, on the official website of the Vienna State Opera.

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