Vienna Opera. Vienna State Opera: history, description, photo Vienna State Opera

Updated 01/07/2019

The Vienna State Opera is the largest opera house in Austria, known far beyond its borders. The opera season lasts 285 days, during which time 60 operas and ballets are shown. Every year the repertoire is supplemented by 4-5 premieres, opera evenings for children are regularly held.

Do you love opera? You are here for the setting. If you like interiors - you are here, on a tour. If you love architecture - you are here, just take a walk around. The opera stands in the center of the Inner City, close to metro and bus stops. I advise you to at least take a look at the building if you are nearby.

For lovers of history, I will tell you about the development of the opera, and I will help pragmatic tourists deal with ordering tickets and the current state of the complex.

History of the Vienna State Opera

As a phenomenon, opera appeared in Vienna as early as the 17th century, when famous works began to be staged throughout the city. At that time, the performers did not have their own building, and they used the services of other theaters in Vienna. In 1861, local architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll began to build a separate building for the opera. They finished it by 1869, and Mozart's Don Giovanni was staged at the premiere.

The Vienna State Opera for almost fifty years - until 1918 - worked under the name "Court Opera House". This meant that the complex officially belonged to the ruling Habsburg dynasty, was at their court. The theater received its modern name only after the Anschluss in 1938, but people began to call the state opera as early as the 1920s.

In 1945, during the bombing of Vienna by US troops, the building was damaged and partially destroyed. The complex was completely restored by 1955; on November 5, a new season began with a production of Beethoven's Fidelio. In the same year, the management of the theater and the authorities of Vienna brought back the tradition of annual balls at the opera. Over the years, the directors of the theater were the famous Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Karl Böhm.

Vienna Opera today

Since 2010, the opera has been directed by Dominique Meyer, and the ballet group has been directed by Manuel Legris. The season lasts from September to June, during which time there are at least 60 productions. The classical program is made up of famous operas and ballets by European and Russian authors, there are also performances especially for children.

No less famous artists participate in the productions, the Vienna State Opera collaborates with Roberto Alagna, Gerald Finley, Simon Keenlyside, Erwin Schrott, Placido Domingo, Ramon Vargas, Valentina Nafornita, Nina Stemme, Anna Netrebko.

How to buy tickets to the Vienna Opera?

Tickets for the opera can be purchased 2 months before the performance. At the same time, every season with the advent of the schedule, you can book tickets without buying them. You will be placed on a waiting list and will be given priority for ticket purchases. The cheapest ticket for a ballet will cost 11 euros, for an opera - 13 euros, the most expensive - 144 and 205 euros, respectively. For children, tickets will be cheaper.

The Vienna Opera offers an unusual option - standing places. These tickets go on sale 80 minutes before the start of the show. Standing places are 2-4 euros, this is a great way to get inside at a very low price. But there are few such tickets, so I advise you to approach at least 5-6 hours before the start of the performance. Get in line and buy a cheap ticket.

If you buy a ticket on the site, then here is a simple instruction:

Go to the booking page, it is in Russian.
Find the desired view in the catalog, they are divided by years and months.
Choose a place on the general scheme of the hall. The parterre is classically comfortable, in the extreme side boxes and on the far balcony it will not be visible very well.
Choose an adult or child ticket, click "Add to cart", "Next" and again "Next".
Enter your username and password if you are already registered. If not, then register, enter all the information, including payment information.
Once your payment has been confirmed, you will receive an email with your ticket, which you should print out and take with you to the show.

Check your tickets on the day of the event. If they have a barcode, then feel free to go inside the theater, you don’t need to exchange anything. If there is no barcode, then the printed ticket must be exchanged for a regular one. This can be done at the evening box office next to the regular ticket office on Operngasse at the front. You can even not print the ticket, but show the cashier the confirmation of payment.

And even if you forgot your tickets to the Vienna Opera, it's okay. Give your name at the box office before the performance, they will check your identity and issue a ticket. If you want to pick up earlier, then there is no problem either. Just go not to the ticket office on the street, but inside the theater, in the foyer. A ticket for a child will also need to be exchanged in the lobby, but already on the day of the performance itself.

Guided tours of the Vienna Opera

If tickets to the Vienna Opera seem too expensive for you, then you can just go inside with a guided tour. A walk through the theater takes 40 minutes, during which time you will see several halls, a tea room, a stage from the backstage, the main box, an orchestra pit. Guided tours are available in German, English and Spanish, for bookings in other languages please write to [email protected]

Want to get a discount on a tour of Vienna and beyond? Read.

The tour starts no earlier than 13:00, standard start times are 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. But not every day there are three tours, so check this page before visiting. The guides gather those who wish at the corner of Opernring and Operngasse streets - this is the southwestern corner of the theater building.

Ticket price for the Vienna State Opera for a guided tour (prices subject to change):

7.5 euros for adults.
6 euros for pensioners over 65 years old.
3.5 euros for children, schoolchildren and students under 27 years old.

Useful information for visiting the Vienna Opera

The Vienna State Opera is a rather large complex with several ticket offices. Let me remind you once again where and what to buy, and when the box office is open.

Main cash desks - ordering and buying tickets. They are located in three places in Vienna: Operngasse 2, WähringerStrasse 78, Universitätsring 2. They work from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 12:00.
Ticket kiosk - buy tickets. It is located on HerbertvonKarajan-Platz street at the northeast corner of the theatre. Open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to one hour before the start of the show, on Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00, Sunday is a day off.
Evening cash desks in the foyer - issuance of tickets. Located on the corner of Herbertvon Karajan-Platz and Opernring. They work from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to two hours before the start of the performance, on Saturday from 9:00 to 12:00, on Sunday - a day off. In the evening, the box office opens an hour before the call.

The Vienna State Opera stands in the center of the city, next to the Karlsplatz metro station (there is a famous church on the square of the same name), where lines U1, U2 and U4 converge. From the station, just walk along KärntnerStraße to the north one block, you will immediately see the theater building. Right next to the opera there is an Opernring stop for trams 1, 2, 62, 71 and D and bus 59A.

Vienna Opera on the map

Excursion with a visit to the Vienna Opera

Do you want to get behind the scenes of the main concert venue in Europe and get to know the opera cuisine from the inside? Then sign up for the tour "". You will see the Vienna Opera while preparing for the evening performance. All the details and cost of the tour at the link above.

Always yours, Daniil Privolov.

Get a Tinkoff ALL Airlines card and take part in the drawing of a round-the-world trip. 3000 rubles in miles as a gift to everyone! .

Looking for a hotel or apartment? Thousands of options on RoomGuru. Many hotels are cheaper than on Booking

Wiener Staatsoper) takes pride of place in the list of the best opera houses in the world. Despite the fact that after the completion of construction, the architectural embodiment of the opera house was subjected to harsh criticism, very soon the building nevertheless received recognition.

opened its doors on May 25, 1869. The first production was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "". The premiere was attended by the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph, as well as Empress Elisabeth. Until 1918, the theater had the title Vienna Court Opera. Since its opening, every year the theater has attracted the attention of opera lovers more and more. During the First World War, the theater continued its work, however, its popularity declined sharply. At the end of World War II, the building was destroyed by bombing. The opera troupe continued to give performances, and at that time complex work began on the restoration of the opera house. Ten years later, the construction of the new building was completed. On November 5, 1955, a new Vienna State Opera.

Today, the Vienna Opera is considered one of the most beautiful theaters in the world. The Vienna Opera House has the widest repertoire in the world: during the 285 days of the opera season, at least 60 performances are staged at the theater. The ticket price varies from 12 to 212 euros. In past centuries, the opera house was a special gathering place for the nobility (aristocrats and other connoisseurs of luxury). Today the world has a much easier attitude to such "formalities" as one's own appearance when visiting cultural events. And yet, the Vienna Opera House is still that special place where you should come in a luxurious evening dress - after all, an exceptionally sophisticated and cultured audience gathers there. The inhabitants of Austria say that if a person has been to Vienna, but has not visited the Vienna Opera, then he has not really seen the city. After all, it is here, in the opera house, that temporal boundaries are erased, and the breath of old Austria is felt like that ...
In addition to opera performances, guests of the theater can visit 40-minute excursions, where they can hear a fascinating story about the history of the building and the specifics of the Vienna State Opera. The theater also has an opera museum, which constantly hosts various exhibitions related to premieres, the first performances of famous artists, major productions, beautiful costumes, scenery, programs and other documents from the theater's past. Not far from the museum, visitors can purchase photographs, videos, books and other souvenirs.

Interesting Facts:
- None of the architects of the Vienna Opera House lived to see the opening of his brainchild (Eduard van der Nüll committed suicide, and his friend August Sicard von Sicardsburg died soon after of a heart attack);
- The theater hosts the world-famous annual Viennese Ball (it is listed by UNESCO among the intangible cultural heritage of the world);
- In addition to the fact that the Vienna Opera has the largest repertoire among opera houses in the world, it also has the title of guardian of the best traditions of the Austrian classical school;

The Vienna Opera (Staatsoper) is one of those associations that are sure to arise in the memory of every tourist at the mention of Vienna.

The construction of the State Opera House on the Ringstars has a sad history. The work was entrusted to two architects - Eduard Van der Nyl, who was in charge of the decoration, and August Zickardsburg, who was responsible for the construction. The opera was built and opened on May 25, 1869 with Mozart's production of Don Giovanni. The premiere was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph himself, who inadvertently remarked to his retinue about a certain squatness of the new building. This was the reason for numerous attacks on the authors of the construction in the architectural environment. The result was disastrous: Van der Nyl committed suicide, and Zickardsburg died of a heart attack. Emperor Franz Joseph has since been very cautious in assessing artistic and architectural works.

During the Second World War, the building of the Vienna Opera was badly damaged: the auditorium and the stage were destroyed, the props and scenery for most productions were destroyed. It was only in 1953 that the restoration of the opera house began under the direction of the architect Erich Boltenstein. Boltenstein successfully added the preserved fragments of the pre-war Opera into the restored building - a staircase with marble railings, sculptures, a loggia and ceiling frescoes by Moritz von Schwind, depicting scenes from The Magic Flute.

The second birth of the Opera took place in 1955, and the first on the new stage was Beethoven's opera Fidelio (Fidelio), Karl Boehm conducted the orchestra. There were so many people who wanted to attend the premiere that the hall could not accommodate them all. Speakers were set up in the street, and hundreds of Viennese listened to the production outside the walls of the opera.

Today, the Vienna State Opera House "Staatsoper" is available to any viewer. Therefore, tourists who have arrived in Vienna for several days and wish to attend one of the performances should take care of tickets in advance.

Even in the "Statsoper" every year one of the most beautiful events in Vienna is solemnly held - the famous ball at the Opera - "Opernball". The cheapest ticket to a ball at the Vienna Opera costs 200 euros. A table reserved in the hall in advance will cost from 200 to 700 euros. To order one of the 150 boxes in the large hall, you need to have an amount of 4.5 to 10 thousand euros.

The Opera has both seating (1313) and standing (102) places. Ticket prices vary depending on the level of the performance and the performers involved in the production. In general, tickets for standing places can be bought for 3 euros, the average price of a seat will be 50-100 euros, the most expensive seats in the auditorium will cost about 1400 euros. Standing room tickets go on sale at the theater box office one hour before the start of the performance. However, if stars of the scale of Placido Domingo take part in the production, the queue to the box office starts at 5 o'clock in the morning. Tickets are sold in advance at the additional box office of the Opera at Kärntnerstrasse 40. The box office is open from 10 am on weekdays, from 10 am to 12 am on Saturday, from 10 am to 5 pm on the first Saturday of the month. On Sundays and public holidays, advance ticket sales offices are closed. Tickets can be purchased no more than 30 days before the performance.

Tickets for Strauss & Mozart Concert with Dinner

For those tourists who are not big fans of opera and ballet, but would like to see the Staatsoper building from the inside, there are guided tours every day at 2 pm. The cost of such an excursion for adults is 4 euros, for students - 2.5 euros, for children - 1.5 euros. Tickets for them can be bought 15 minutes before the start. On the website of the Vienna Opera, you can take a virtual walk (you need to install the necessary plugins).

The Vienna Opera opened its doors in 1869, becoming a source of spiritual food for the aristocracy and high society. The opera drama Don Giovanni was timed to coincide with the opening, since then all art lovers dreamed of visiting the Vienna Opera, and romantic girls prepared for balls in advance, choosing the most beautiful dresses. From the first day of work, the landmark has not changed its address, but it is no longer possible to find out how the building was originally conceived, since during the war years the Austrian capital was badly destroyed, and the opera was completely destroyed.

Interesting to know! At the end of the 20th century, when the building of the Vienna Opera was restored, romantic balls resumed, for some time artists with Russian roots were the soloists in the troupe.

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, they were mainly works by Italian authors. Only in the 19th century did the construction of the premises begin, where the troupe would be housed in the future. The authors of the project were architects from Austria - August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll.

Good to know! In the spring of 1869, the doors of the theater were solemnly opened, Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife took part in the event.

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 Theater.

During the 19th century, the best works of the authors of ballets and operas, operettas were staged on the stage. In the middle of the 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 chief 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, and the number of performances increased.

Interesting to know! Under the direction of chief conductor Mahler (1897-1907), the opera in Vienna was recognized as the best European theater.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the landmark in Vienna received the status of a state one, however, the official name "Vienna State Opera" was fixed in 1938.

Furtwängler

During the war, famous conductors from Austria and Germany were engaged in productions: Kraus, Böhm, Furtwängler. Under their guidance, the most famous works of Mozart, Verdi and Beethoven sounded on the stage, and by 1944 the entire repertoire of Strauss was staged.

1945 was a tragic year in the history of sights in Vienna - the building was completely destroyed as a result of an air attack. But even in such a difficult period, the troupe continued to give performances. Restoration work has been actively carried out for ten years. Upon completion of the reconstruction, the theater was opened in the fall of 1955, and the production of Fidelio was timed to coincide with the solemn event. In the same year, the good tradition of an annual ball was restored. Since then, the interest of the audience in the State Opera has not weakened, the hall with a capacity of 2209 people is always full, seats are booked in advance.

Architecture and decoration

The building in Vienna is included in the list of the main attractions of the capital of Austria. Already from the drawings it becomes clear how large-scale and beautiful the project is conceived. The magic and magic of graphics managed to be translated into reality. However, after the completion of construction work, the public expressed violent protests, which the emperor joined in. The facade was called overloaded, heavy, external and internal design - overly 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. The guests go up the front stairs. The ceilings of the theater are decorated with paintings, but the attention of guests is attracted not only by the skillful decor, but also by the luxurious chandelier, which is compared to the sun. For the design of the lodges, fabric was used, so a feeling of intimacy is created.

It is necessary to note the excellent acoustics in the hall, comfortable chairs, virtuoso skills and talent of the artists and the orchestra of the Vienna Opera.

Interesting to know! The architecture of the Grand Opera Garnier in Paris influenced the creation of the project. 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 luxurious ball, the troupe of the State Opera in Austria presents at least 60 productions, concerts are held, as well as solo performances. Premieres appear in the repertoire every year, in the 2017/2018 season they were The Player, Lulu, Samson and Delilah, Danton's Death, Free Shooter.

The ball season in Austria starts in January and lasts until February, so it is not surprising that all the inhabitants of the country have tailcoats and evening dresses. The most prestigious is the ball in the Austrian opera. In terms of significance, it is comparable to an important diplomatic reception, so the president of the country visits it every year.

Facts about the Viennese ball:

The first event was held at the beginning of the 19th century;
in the building after reconstruction, the first ball was held at the beginning of winter in 1877;
the event is traditionally opened by 180 professional pairs of dancers;
debutants are trusted to perform a polonaise;
the Viennese waltz is traditionally danced last;
Mandatory dress code for men is a tailcoat, for women - evening attire.

How to get to the Vienna Ball

First of all, you need to buy the appropriate outfit, learn classical dance, waltz is best, purchase tickets, find a partner who is experienced enough in dancing. It should be noted that places for the event are sold out long before the event, for several months they have not been available either at the box office or on the website. Of course, you can try to turn to resellers, but the cost will be much higher than stated.

Practical information:

the ticket costs 315€;
for guests in the box - 23.6 €;
a table for 6 guests - 1260 €;
table for 4 persons — 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

Any public transport follows the State Opera in Vienna:

metro - branches U1, U2, U4, point of destination - Karlsplatz station;
bus number 59A, stop Opernring;
tram number 1, 2, 62, 65 and D, Opernring stop.

Dress code

For a visit to the Vienna Opera there is a special theatrical dress code. If we are talking about attending a regular performance, there are no special requirements for guests. Of course, it is necessary to show a sense of proportion and not wear a sundress or shorts that are too open. It is enough to choose comfortable everyday clothes. Women often buy evening dresses for a visit to the Vienna Opera. It's not obligatory.

Outerwear must be left in the cloakroom. Spectators who have a ticket to the theater box may not go to the cloakroom, but leave their outerwear in a small hallway. Street shoes are also left in the cloakroom.

Good to know! After the third call, late spectators are not allowed into the hall. During the intermission there is a buffet where snacks and champagne are sold.

Find out the RATES or book any accommodation using this form

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 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 particular production are put on a "waiting list".

The cost of a visit to the Vienna Opera is from 10 € to 240 €. Cheap tickets allow the viewer only to hear the artists, but it will not work to see what is happening on the stage. There is a way to visit the Vienna Opera inexpensively. To do this, you need to purchase "standing" tickets, their cost is 2-4 €. They are sold at the box office located on Operngasse Street. Remember that the number of spectators who can watch the performance standing up 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 queue for 4 hours, this will guarantee a visit to the hall of the Vienna Opera.

Booking and buying online

The essence of early booking is as follows - a waiting list is formed on the official resource of the Vienna Opera, when the sale of tickets for the selected performance begins, the audience who was first on the waiting list receives the right to pay for the reservation.

Online purchase algorithm:

go to the site of attractions in Vienna;
register;
when registering, you must specify the e-mail where information will be received, as well as the number of the card from which payment is made.

For those who are planning to visit the State Opera in Vienna for the first time, it can be difficult to find a ticket. First you need to select the 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 hall scheme will appear, where empty seats are indicated, it is enough to navigate by price category.

It is 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 options, you just need to click on the selected location. To pay you need to enter payment details. If the payment is successful, the system will notify you. A reservation is sent to the e-mail specified during registration, it contains all the important information - the date and time of the performance, the audience seat. 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, it is not necessary to change the document.

Important nuances:

if you did not take a reservation with you, a ticket will be issued at the box office, for this you need to give your last name;
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 one hour before each performance;
booking for a child does not require a document, small spectators are given a temporary ticket at the same box office, the child must be with his parents.

Prices for visiting the opera in Vienna

A visit to the opera in Vienna (Austria) cannot be called a cheap pleasure, but despite this, every performance in the hall is always sold out, so tickets must be booked in advance. The cost of seats depends on the category of the performance.

Category A - productions for true connoisseurs and gourmets, this group includes premieres and performances with the participation of world stars. As you know, art requires sacrifice, so attending a category A production will cost a lot.
Group B - such performances can be called the "golden mean", since this is the optimal ratio of musical enjoyment and cost.
Group C is an inexpensive production designed for a wide range of audiences. 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 visit the performance for nine months - from September. The main place in the poster is given to the works of Mozart.

Practical Information

1. Opera in Vienna: Wiener Staatsoper GmbH, Opernring 2, 1010, Wien.

2. Schedule of the box office: weekdays - from 8-00 to 18-00, weekends - from 9-00 to 12-00.

3. Tours at the Vienna Opera are held every day. The duration of the sightseeing visits is 40 minutes, at which time tourists are invited backstage to inspect the building. Believe me, in terms of the strength of emotions, the excursion is in no way inferior to visiting a theatrical performance, because the theater is an architectural monument of Austria. The exact schedule is presented on the official website, excursions are held daily 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 implements programs aimed at introducing children to art. For school-age children, there are guided tours, dance master classes, and performances prepared by small actors. Gifted children are invited to a ballet school or a choir. Performances of the Children's Opera are held on the main stage, as well as on the roof.

The Vienna Opera is rightfully considered the custodian of the centuries-old traditions of classical theatrical art, and the theater building has been a symbol of Austria for many decades.

- the center of musical culture and a popular attraction of the Austrian capital. The beautiful building of the Vienna Opera is recognizable all over the world. Thousands of opera lovers visit the Vienna Opera every year to join the world art.

Vienna State Opera (Austria): history

The largest opera house in Austria was built in 1869 by two local architects Eduard van der Nüll and August Sicard von Sicardsburg. The building is designed in neo-Renaissance style.

However, the chosen architectural solution did not justify the hopes of the masters, their work was severely criticized by the locals. After the official opening of the Vienna Opera, the architects committed suicide. The first performance presented on the stage of the theater was the opera Don Giovanni by Mozart.

Only years later, society recognized the Vienna Opera as a real work of art by outstanding masters.

It is not only the facade of the building that is striking. No less interesting and beautiful is its interior decoration - magnificent stairs, ancient sculptures, gilding and marble. Tourists are also attracted by the original tea room, built specifically for the rest of Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Several suffered during the war in 1945, but after it it was completely restored. On November 5, 1955, the Vienna State Opera resumed its work with the performance of Beethoven's Fidelio.

Today, the fame of the Vienna Opera cannot be overestimated. Every year, dozens of famous performances and theatrical productions take place here, some of which, in the summer, are held in the open air. Once a year, it hosts the world-famous debutante ball, where boys and girls present their skills in the art of ballroom dancing.