Review: Vienna Opera House

Located in the heart of Austria’s capital and dating to the ground breaking in 1810, but not officially opened until March 25, 1869, the Vienna Court Opera, as it was once known, has entertained audiophiles for generations.

© Castenoid | Dreamstime

It was renamed a little less than 100 years ago, after the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy, and is now not only a wonderful setting for music, but a company in its own right. Its baroque architecture is a sight to behold and it has hosted some of the best composers to have ever held a quill: Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin all plied their trade at this most venerable of auditoriums.

It took more than half a century to complete and while August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Null imagined the project, it was completed by Joseph Hlavka, undoubtedly one of Czechoslovakia’s finest architects.

With a wide variety of performances on a nightly basis, it pays to visit their website. With a limited seating of just more than 1,000 people, a reservation is recommended for one of the more popular performances, but if you are on a budget there isn’t any need to worry as mid-week performances are competitively priced.

© Aronbrand | Dreamstime

The Vienna Philharmonic is closely associated with the Opera House and, while they are incorporated in their own right, many members play for both institutions.

Children are more than welcome and it has indeed been a trademark of the Opera House to cater to the next generation of music lovers. Matinee performances are a must if you are traveling with your little ones and they will be treated as well as you would hope.

This is not only an Austrian treasure, but also a European one. When it comes to a classic Opera House, there are few that can compete.