We don't have the time nor the budget for good seats. Is the guided tour informative and see more than a casual look around during the break or before the performance (if we buy the standing room ticket) ? The music is nice to have but we won't stay for more than an hour. Also I heard it's very touristy anyway and probably not the best environment to enjoy music.
Posted by
2426 posts
I have never been for a tour in the Golden Hall. But it is the perfect environment for listening to music, having the best acoustics of all music halls in the world.
Posted by
57 posts
Went to an Orchestra concert during Chritmas time a couple years ago and it was worth it! Very beautiful and the place is small enough to enjoy no matter where you sit. I don't know about the guided tour though. It is rather small so I am not sure it is really worth it. The Opera tour is pretty good, larger building, which I took a few years ago.
Posted by
Southeast US
4206 posts
Ah, the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. It is Habsburg wonderful! And, as noted above, it is considered to be one of the finest performance halls in the world. Yes, there are touristy performances with an orchestra that wears time period costumes, but there are also wonderful, non-touristy performances for the locals and for music lovers from around the world. I've seen some excellent shows there -- Beethoven's Ninth, Handel's Saul (with my all-time favorite conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt), and others.
I didn't know there was such a thing as tours of the Musikverein, but it looks like there are! If you want to see an attractive concert hall, I think the 45-minute Musikverein tour will give you more than adequate time to see the hall. If you want to experience the Golden Hall as it was/is intended to be experienced, though, go to a performance. I expect the sound will be great even for standing room tickets (though the view of the performers may not be so great?).
Posted by
111 posts
We are similar -- not too much into classical music, but do enjoy good music in general.
We took in a concert last year (Vivaldi's .. ). We took least expensive tickets (not the standing room ones) -- these seats are quite behind. You hear the music nicely and the music is good (not Great, IMO), but there is lack of discipline amongst the crowds at the back (too much chatting, changing seats, restless ... etc). Ushers are RUDE ( I guess they have to deal with this every evening !). Simple ask for elevators and they said not available .. when we found they were.
If you get standing room tickets for 5 Euros, then go for it. Golden Hall acoustics are good.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5647 posts
The Musikverein is probably the most famous and acoustically perfect music venue in the world. It is not touristy if you are seeing the Vienna Philharmonic or any other orchestra that is not called Mozart this or that. To call the Musikverein touristy would make a Viennese person very upset.
Posted by
2426 posts
there is lack of discipline amongst the crowds at the back (too much chatting, changing seats, restless ... etc).
This is also something which makes locals very upset. People don't know how to behave in a classical concert.
By the way, this applies to the Opera as well.
Posted by
OP
14 posts
If "The Musikverein is probably the most famous and acoustically perfect music venue in the world." why Rick doesn't even mention it in his guide? And most other guide books also lean toward Staatsoper. This has been a big question mark in my mind for many years and I am looking forward to seeing them.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5647 posts
Because maybe Rick and his team don't focus their guides on every single thing in every single city? The Opera is also more approachable to your average tourist as opposed to the Musikverein where tickets to world class events are very hard to come by.
Posted by
Southeast US
4206 posts
why Rick doesn't even mention it in his guide?
I think because Rick is writing for the masses, and a strong interest in classical music is a pretty specialized interest. I was in London a couple of weeks ago. At the top of my list of things to do was to see the London Symphony Orchestra perform. That's not on most travel itineraries and reflects a highly specialized interest. People with a strong interest in classical music are going to seek it out; they are not relying on Rick Steves for recommendations. And so, classical music lovers know that the Musikverein is indeed judged to be one of the "most acoustically perfect music venue[s] in the world" and is indeed one of the very top places on the planet to see a classical music performance. Most travelers don't really care about a performance hall's acoustics.