The Vienna Opera is one of the most famous and largest opera houses in the world, the history of which begins in the mid-nineteenth century. Located in the center of Vienna, it was originally called the Vienna Court Opera and was renamed in 1920 with the advent of the First Austrian Republic.
The building, built in the years 1861-1869 in the neoclassical style, designed by architects Eduard van der Null and August Sikard von Sikardsburg, was the first major building on Rigenstrasse. Famous artists worked on interior decoration, among them Moritz von Schwind, who painted murals in the box on the opera The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the lobby based on the works of other composers. The Vienna Opera was inaugurated on May 25, 1869 by the creation of "Don Giovanni" by Mozart. The presentation was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Amalia Eugene Elizabeth.
The opera building was not initially highly praised by the public. Firstly, it was opposite the magnificent Heinrichshof mansion (destroyed during the Second World War) and did not produce the proper monumentality effect. Secondly, the level of the ring road in front of the building was raised by one meter after the start of its construction, and it looked like a “settled box”.
The Vienna Opera reached a special heyday under the guidance of the prominent composer and conductor Gustav Mahler. Under him, a new generation of world-famous vocalists grew up, such as Anna von Mildenburg and Selma Curz. Having become the director of the theater in 1897, he changed the outdated scenery, attracted the talent and experience of remarkable artists (among them Alfred Roller) to form a new aesthetics of the stage, corresponding to the modernist taste. Mahler introduced the practice of dimming lighting on stage during the performances of performers. All his reforms were saved by successors.
During the American bombing at the end of World War II, the building was badly damaged. After long discussions, it was decided to restore it in the original style, and the renovated Vienna Opera was reopened in 1955 by the creation of Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Today in the theater, modern productions are carried out, but they are never experimental. It is closely associated with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which is officially listed as the Vienna Opera Philharmonic Orchestra. It is one of the busiest opera houses in the world. 50-60 operas are staged annually, at least 200 performances are shown. The main repertoire of the Vienna Opera includes some works little known to the general public, such as, for example, The Cavalier of the Rose and Salome by Richard Strauss.
Tickets for performances are expensive. This is due to the many lodges. Keep in mind that there is practically no tilt in the stalls, so you can pay from 160 euros for a place somewhere in the eighth row, but it’s not enough to see from what is happening on the stage. The acoustics are excellent, especially on the upper levels of the building. There are still standing places (more than 500) located directly behind the stalls, but they are available only on the day the show is shown, while tickets to the lodges and stalls go on sale thirty days before each performance, and it is easiest to order them through the website, which owned by the Vienna Opera.
The dress code as such is not respected, since more than half of the places are occupied by tourists, a diverse audience, although it can be noted that people are dressed more elegantly in lodges.