Even if you aren’t a fan of opera, a trip to Vienna should include a visit to the Vienna State Opera. Gracing the famous Ring Boulevard in all its majestic glory, the Vienna State Opera is considered to be among the very best operatic houses anywhere in the world.
Vienna State Opera events have attracted huge crowds right from the off. The building was constructed in 1869 following plans drawn up by renowned architects Eduard van der Nüll and August Sicard von Sicardsburg.
Following its devastation in World War II, it wasn’t until 1955 that it reopened its gilded doors, such was the magnitude of the building work needed to restore it to its former glory. Nothing less than perfection would do for the rebuilding of the VSO, and that’s exactly what happeed.
Today, the Vienna State Opera offers cosmopolitan audiences high calibre musical theatre experiences on around 300 days per year.
Tour the Vienna State Opera
A tour of this grand old lady is thoroughly recommended to see what does on behind the scenes of the elaborate operatic productions. From the foyer you can ascend the grand staircase, where many a famous foot has trodden; travel through the ceremonial rooms of Gustav-Mahler-Saal, Marmosaal, Schwindfoyer and Teesalon; and enter the auditorium itself, drinking in the atmosphere while gazing upon that hallowed stage.
On stage at VSO
So what takes place on this stage? Opera is a given, with the biggest names regularly appearing in such heavyweights as Cosi Fan Tutti, Boris Godunov and Otello.
One of the hottest tickets around is Orlando by Olga Neuwirth. Crafted exclusively for the VSO, Neuwirth has created a modern classic based on Virginia Woolf’s acclaimed work of the same name.
There are plenty of other special events, too. Whether you want to take a musical tour of Vienna, revel in the musical masterpiece that is Cabaret or watch Eliza Doolittle blossom into a swan in My Fair Lady, you will find something to quench your cultural appetite at this theatre. Add into the mix ballet, operettas and regular displays by the Spanish Riding School and it’s easy to see why audiences still flock here in there thousands.
