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Classical concert in Vienna - Sep 22 - 24, 2017

Posted by on

Hi
My mum's partner is taking her to Vienna for her 70th birthday from 22nd - 24th September and they want to see a classical concert. They would like to see a full orchestra, possibly Strauss, but open to other composers. They definitely want to avoid the costume tourist events, but I am struggling to find the high quality concerts for proper enthusiasts. I can see from other posts that Vienna philharmonic orchestra are the ones to see, but they are not playing that weekend. Please would you be able to point me in the right direction for the other high quality orchestras? They are happy to pay higher prices for quality, but it seems hard to identify the wheat from the chaff.

PS - classical music is not really my thing, so I will have to refer back to my mum with any questions about musical preferences etc

Thank you

James

Posted by
21273 posts

The Vienna Philharmonic is more of an "All Star" orchestra that is for mostly subscribers, does not play that often, and tickets are hard to get because they play at the smaller Musikverein venue. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra is the main city orchestra. They have concerts at the Vienna Konzerthaus and Sept 22 & 24 they have a program of Dvorak Te Deum and Symphony No 6. I can't seem to pull up the ticket purchase page, so that may mean that they are only doing subscriptions now and general ticket sales to the public have not begun yet. Definitely NOT "tourist" concerts.
https://www.wienersymphoniker.at/en/season/concerts/2017-18

Posted by
4169 posts

Your post contains a number of caveats which are not easily reconcilable , as well as some preconceptions and misconceptions . I understand your limits with classical music , perhaps I can help - Vienna has a large , highly skilled coterie of classical musicians who staff the various venues ( much the same in places like New York , Paris , and London ) , quality of performance is not a likely issue . Repertoire is another matter . A program of music by members of the Strauss family ( Waltzes , and the like ) are usually offered by costumed " tourist " events , but that does not mean they are substandard . There is a broad spectrum of choice in classical music , and it is up to the listener to choose based on their taste and level of musical sophistication . The program that Sam referenced is fine , but are your mother's tastes attuned to that ? For her input , listen here - https://youtu.be/u4rKio2irYU An example of a high quality ( even though costumed ) event - http://www.mozart.co.at/wmotickets_en.php?ID=2783031 . Here is a site that will give you a broad range of choices - https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/classic/classic-for-beginners . I am a trained classical musician and have been an avid listener from my childhood to my dotage . I love Strauss Waltzes , and Dvorak and Mahler as well , but it depends on the audience . Finally , a perfect example of one of Johann Strauss' best loved waltzes , played in The Musikverein - Sylvester 2014 - https://youtu.be/9Nl8y5KLpqs

Posted by
2284 posts

You may consult Austria's most comprehensive event directory: https://www.events.at/
It is in German only, but you can easily filter by location (i.e. Wien), date and type (e.g. Musik).
If you want to book tickets online, best is to use the website of the respective venue (and not a ticket office).

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you for your posts Steven, Sam and wmt1. It's really helpful to hear your advice and there is plenty to go on there. My mum is having a look this morning and exploring some of the links you sent so I am sure she will come up with something that she is happy with.
I will keep you posted.
Thanks again
James

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