Vienna classical music choices--opinions please

Of the above maybe the Kursalon Vienna Concert and Mozart Ensemble. Most of the others, especially Vienna Heurigen Show and Mozart Orchestra are going to be overpriced and pretty mundane. Most of the major and good orchestras will not be in Vienna during the summer. I hope you have rooms booked for Salzburg for the Music Festival...it will be booked up and expensive if you wait til the last minute.
For Vienna:
During July there is a series of ancient music concerts at St Ruprecht Church which should be fantastic.
http://events.wien.info/en/g99/ancient-music-at-st-ruprecht-2014/

Vivaldi's Four Seasons at Karlskirche
http://events.wien.info/en/5v1/a-vivaldi-die-4-jahreszeiten-in-der-karlskirche/

A good bet would also be this one at St Peterskirche:
http://events.wien.info/en/621/mozart-klaviersonaten/

Do NOT go to any that the period costumed people on the street are selling.

*Alex thank you for the suggestions!
I really would love to hear Four seasons in Vienna. I would have to stay over and leave for Salzburg as we have a Saturday 11am concert. Thanks also for the tip re: not buying tickets from costumed people!

I booked my Salzburg hotel about 4 months ago and I have my tickets as well. I will have to keep the tickets with me or in a safe while I travel.

Do you have any suggestions for hotels in Vienna? 4 stars and somewhere around $250-$300 US?

Carol

Nice budget for hotel...why not opt for a nice classic in Vienna, the Koenig von Ungarn:
http://www.kvu.at/en/
You will be right in the center of Vienna and staying in something not cookie-cutter, but very nice and traditional. Here is a link for reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g190454-d192271-Reviews-Hotel_Konig_Von_Ungarn-Vienna.html
When you are in Salzburg treat yourself to a wunderbar meal at Barenwirt:
http://www.baerenwirt-salzburg.at/
Reserve, reserve for this place.

I think that you should know that these are all orchestras and groups put together to entertain tourists in typically interesting venues. There will be no locals in the audience. In some cases, the venues might be more attractive than the music. If you are not expecting the Vienna Philharmonic, then you are probably going to be ok with the show. Many of these concerts are posted on youtube, so you can have a look there for an idea of what to expect. I think that Alex's recommendations sound great, so maybe give those a try. It seems that your best bet for good music will be in Salzburg anyway.

The "avoid costume concerts" is another one of those travel axioms that needs to be taken in context. The period dress ensembles problably perform the same exact repetoire as all of the groups listed above. Meaning, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, +/- some basic Haydn, maybe the Blue Danube Waltz or Smetana's Moldau. Nothing wrong with that, but it's all the same thing, just different venues, of stuff that you can probably whistle in your sleep. If you really want a challenge rather than just the old familiars, you would need to go with the highly paid professionals of the Vienna Philharmonic, or the associated smaller ensembles. But of course, they're usually on hiatus in the summer.

Alex--thank you for those suggestions!

*Emily-- thanks for your comments and the recommendation to listen to YouTube...good idea!

Tom--thanks for the comments...fortunately I will see the Vienna Philharmonic in Salzburg

After reading these posts I don't feel any pressure to get tickets. I may go to one or two performances in Vienna but I'll wait until I get there and see what's going on.

It was my understanding that for the Orangerie Schoenbrunn concerts, the facility was opened up for a pseudo-outdoor performance? Did I misunderstand?? Nephew Helmut's English is sometimes hard for me to understand, BYW, these concerts are attended by locals....altho tourists will always slip in.

Looks like you've got the scoop. Also, in late June, but not in July, you can see free outdoor projections of the Vienna State Opera.