Sights and attractions in Vienna
Vienna is a beautiful city with many attractions that will delight the visitor. A special draw is the Viennese classical music scene, which we have collected some information about below.There are several online guides to the city. Check out one of the following links (all in English):
Time Out Vienna
Lonely Planet Vienna
Vienna Tourist Information
Venues for (serious) music in Vienna
Overview
Vienna has one of Europe's most vibrant classical music scenes. In addition to world-renowned institutions such as the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera, there are many other fine Viennese orchestras and ensembles, and at any given time of the year there is a large number of touring groups and soloists that visit the city. Below we have collected some information about the various music venues in the city. It is advisable to buy tickets as early as possible.
- Konzerthaus (English website).
- Serious music concerts with world-class performers, with a slight emphasis on ancient and new music. Also jazz and world music. Stated aim is "artistically progressive" serious music.
- Several halls at this venue (1 large, 2 medium, plus a handful of smaller ones), so there are usually several concerts at a time.
- Building from 1913 in a mixture of Historism, Secessionism and Art Nouveau styles.
- Tickets can be purchased online on the website of the venue, by telephone, or in person at the venue box office.
- No standing tickets, but cheapest tickets are usually not expensive.
- View good from all seats.
- Good acoustics from most seats, main exception being Galerie seats in the Grosser Saal.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): Too many excellent concerts for a full list here. See venue website for details.
- Recommended concerts:
- 14.06 and 15.06. Schiff, Oramo, Vienna Symphony - Dvorak, Sibelius.
- 16.06. Bostridge, Gruber, Roschmann, Kirchschlager, Klangforum Wien - Weil (The Threepenny Opera).
- 16.06. Staier (Cembalo) - Bach.
- 17.06. Susan Graham - 19th cent. French song incl. Bizet, Lalo, Gounod, Saint-Saens, etc.
- 18.06. Zimmermann, de Billy, ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna - Beethoven, Schlee, R. Strauss.
- 18.06. Nash Ensemble - Haydn, Saint-Saens, Dvorak.
- 20.06. Abdullah Ibrahim.
- 21.06. Ozawa, Vienna Philharmonic - Takemitsu, Martin, Mendelssohn.
- 23.06. Al di Meola.
- Recommended concerts:
- Musikverein (follow link on page for English). The venerable Viennese classical music institution. "Home" of the Vienna Philharmonic. World-class performers, with some emphasis on standard Classical and Romantic repertoire.
- Several halls at the venue (1 large, 1 medium, and a handful of smaller ones), so there are usually several concerts at a time. If you've seen the annual New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Grosser Saal will look familiar.
- Building dates from 1870, in a late nineteenth century, over-the-top, everything gilded, mishmash of styles, style.
- Tickets can be purchased online on the website of the venue, by telephone, or in person at the venue box office.
- Standing tickets available for the Grosser Saal for about 5 euro. You should arrive earlier to get a spot near the front of the standing area.
- Reasonable view only from front of Standing area and relatively high category (i.e. expensive) seats. Low categories (5,6,7,8) will give you no view, limited view, or excellent view of the backs of the heads of the bass section, and an uncomfortable, hard seat.
- Amazing acoustics only from front of Standing area and relatively high category seats. Acoustics in other seats range from not good to nothing special.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): Too many excellent concerts for a full list here. See venue website for details.
- Caveat: Wiener Mozart Orchester, which has a number of concerts during this time, is aimed at tourists. Same might be said for Wiener Saengerknaben (Vienna Boys' Choir), though this can be a point of contention.
- Recommended concerts:
- 14.06. von Dohnanyi, Tonkunstler-Orchester - Vaughn Williams, Schumann, Elgar.
- 14.06 and 15.06. Boulez, Tetzlaff, Vienna Phil - Debussy, Szymanowski, Skrjabin.
- 16.06. Rachlin - Beethoven.
- 18.06. Kissin - Prokoview, Chopin.
- 18.06. Clemencic Consort - Locatelli.
- 23.06. ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna - Final (Winner's) Concert of Beethoven Piano Competition.
- Theater an der Wien (English website).
- Opera with world-class performers, with a stated emphasis on new music and new stagings of Baroque and Classical music. Also some ballet and classical concerts.
- One hall.
- Historical building built in 1801, and site of many of Beethoven's premieres. Still very much in the laid out in the old style. Seats are rather tight and small.
- Tickets can be purchased online on the website of the venue, by telephone, or in person at the venue box office.
- No standing tickets, but cheapest tickets are usually not expensive.
- No surprises with view/acoustics relative to ticket price.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): Unfortunately, none. *** There is ballet (Fidelio. Beethoven/Zemlinsky) on 10.06 and an introductory matinee for Rossini's opera Il Turco in Italia on 28.06 that look good. See venue website for details.
- Staatsoper (English website - not everything is translated, however.)
- One of the world's great opera houses. Also some ballet.
- One hall.
- Building (facade and foyer) dates from 1870s. Hall smashed to bits during WWII. Rebuilt after the war, with some modernization of the seating.
- Tickets can be purchased online on the website of the venue, by telephone, or in person at the venue box office.
- Standing tickets usually available for 3 or 4 euro.
- No surprises with view/acoustics relative to ticket price.
- Most seats and standing(!) places with limited view have personal video screens which give close-up shots of performers and translating subtitles.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): Too many to list. See venue website for details.
- Recommended concerts:
- 14.06, 15.06, and 17.06. Anna Karenina (Ballet), Tchaikovsky.
- 16.06, 20.06, and 23.06. Faust (opera), Gounod. Bertrand de Billy conducts, Kwangchul Youn as Mephistopeles.
- 18.06, 21.06, and 25.06. Die schweigsame Frau (opera), Richard Strauss. Schneider conducts, Schade and Damrau as Henry and Aminta.
- 19.06, 22.06, and 26.06. Aida (opera), Verdi.
- 24.06, 27.06. Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute) (opera), Mozart.
- Recommended concerts:
- Volksoper (English website)
- Large theater presenting operetta, musicals, opera, and ballet. Operettas presented here are very typically Viennese.
- One hall.
- Theater is quite close to ESI and the Goedel Research Center.
- Tickets can be purchased online on the website of the venue, by telephone, or in person at the venue box office.
- Standing tickets usually available for 1.50 to 4 euro.
- No surprises with view/acoustics relative to ticket price.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): Too many to list. See venue website for details.
- Recommended concerts:
- 14.06, 17.06, 22.06, and 26.06. Ariadne auf Naxos (opera), Richard Strauss. Production of the Klagenfurter Stadttheater
- 19.06, 24.06. Fra Diavolo (opera comique), Daniel F.E. Auber.
- 20.06, 25.06. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) (operetta), Franz Lehár.
- 21.06, 23.06. Das Land des Laechelns (The Land of Smiles) (operetta), Franz Lehar.
- 27.06 Die Fledermaus, Johann Strauss.
- Recommended concerts:
- Kammeroper (English website)
- Small theater focusing on rarities, first performances, and up-and-coming stars.
- One hall.
- Tickets can be ordered by email. More information on the website.
- Standing tickets available for 9 euros.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06):
- Recommended concerts:
- 16.06, 18.06. Owen Wingrave, An Opera in Two Acts Op. 85, Benjamin Britten.
- Recommended concerts:
- Boesendorfersaal
(German website. Very limited information in English here. Concert information only in German.
- Small concert hall for chamber music and piano solo concerts, run by the great Viennese piano manufacturer.
- Tickets available at the box office at the venue. See website for more information.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): June 2009 concerts
- Schoenberg Center (English website - not fully translated)
- Contemporary and avant-garde serious (chamber) music concerts in a tiny hall.
- Note: The website lists some concerts that take place at the Schoenberg House. The Schoenberg House is outside of Vienna. The Arnold Schoenberg Center is located in central Vienna. Doublecheck the venue!
- Tickets available at the box office at the venue. See website for more information.
- Performances during ESI (14.06-27.06): Full list is here.
- Recommended concerts:
- 16.6. Pierre Boulez and Rene Staar conducting Ensemble Wiener Collage. Works of Schoenberg, Boulez, Lazkano, Staar, Staud, and Sterk.
- Recommended concerts:
- Peterskirche: 24.6.: Geistliche Abendmusik: J.S.Bach, Motette "Jesu meine Freude" and W.A.Mozart, Requiem d-Moll (Solisten, Chor und Orchester von St. Peter, Leitung: Georg Huppmann) 20.00Uhr. This is a free (donations possible), semi-professional concert.
- Concerts at the Lichtenstein Museum http://www.liechtensteinmuseum.at/de/pages/1913.asp
Where to get tickets and information: Generally, at the venue or its website, see the above links. The following two sites sell tickets to various events (only the first link is in English.)