Hands up everyone who has seen the film Pretty Woman! One of the most memorable parts is when Edward whisks Vivian away in his private jet for her first operatic experience. You can see she is visibly moved and quite emotional as La Traviata plays out on the stage, and you know from that moment that wherever life takes her she will be a lifelong opera fan. That’s what opera does, it enchants you unlike any other live art form and this is what makes it so special.
Certain cities seem to live and breathe classical music and opera and that is the first thing you think of when you hear their name. Take Vienna for instance. Home and birthplace to some of the most prolific composers such as Mahler, Brahms and Beethoven, classical music courses through the veins of the Austrian capital but there is a lot more to Vienna than just the Blue Danube! As famous as it may be, this waltz is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the musical cultural scene within this charming city.
Vienna also boasts opera houses of the very highest calibre. Vienna opera tickets are always in high demand so if you want to get the best seats in the house you need to get in quickly! Legends of the art have graced the stages of the magnificent Vienna Opera House and the Vienna State Opera is recognised as one of the best in the world. The unbeatable combination of outstanding talent and pitch-perfect acoustics makes for the kind of experience you’ll never forget, and for all the right reasons.
At the time of writing opera lovers planning a trip to Vienna have an eclectic choice between such treasures as Verdi’s A Masked Ball, Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte and Fidelio Urfassung (Leonore), written by the maestro that is Ludwig van Beethoven. Fans of operetta won’t be disappointed either as world-class productions of The Merry Widow, Meine Schwester und Ich and Der Zigeunerbaron are all scheduled for the back end of 2019 and first quarter of 2020.
Johann Strauss ll is a musical legend across the globe and his genius earned him the nickname “The Waltz King”. Strauss was also a big operatic fan, completing one full opera Ritter Pázmán and composing several operettas which proved to be very popular. Probably the best known are Die Fledermaus and Der Zigeunerbaron. Both of these are will be performed at the Volksoper Vienna between November 2019 and 2020. The former is billed under it’s English title The Bat which is pretty unusual and actually quite exciting.
Any trip to the opera is a thrilling experience but if you are travelling to another country that excitement invariably intensifies. If, however, you are going to Vienna to watch an operatic performance it’s likely you are closer to euphoria, as coming to such a special city to take in such a special event is the stuff dreams are made of.
