4 Dayes in Vienna

Thanks for the info. I found a couple of things that sound great! Joanna

Try this link: http://m.events.wien.info/en/
Enter your dates and you will see what is going on then. Avoid the concerts that are being sold on the street by people dressed in period costumes...expensive and not very good.

We saw a concert that was held at the Palace. Pretty amazing experience.

There are a couple locals on the Vienna Tripadvisor forum that can make some pretty good suggestions about local events in their city. I was not looking for musical events but they help me with a lot of other questions. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g190454-i147-Vienna.html

Joanna , in Vienna there is a great deal of , without mincing words , second rate commercial stuff aimed at tourists . Do yourself a BIG favor , get tickets for a major program at The Musikverein ( Vienna Philharmonic would do nicely ) and / or The Vienna State Opera . You will hear the real thing in halls that are the pinnacle of acoustic perfection . We recently heard Mahler's fifth at the Musikverein during our two weeks in Vienna . I spent my career as a professional bassoonist in NYC and the performance nearly brought me to tears .There are other venues that provide fine performances , but use discretion in choosing , given the sheer amount that is available .

Do you have an opinion about a concert at St. Anna's Church or a smaller venue such as Mozart's home?

Unfortunately , no . Vienna , as you know , is filled with music . Part of your choice will be informed by what you want to hear . As an example , a venue I would avoid would be something like the Kursalon in city park ( the park with the Johann Strauss the son statue . It offers a sort of " pops " evening with selections by Strauss , some light classics, a little Mozart ( eine kleine , " Eine Kleine Nachtmusik " ) . Nothing wrong with any of that ( I happen to love Viennese waltzes ) but I am not a fan of Andre Rieu style evenings . The churches are probably a good venue , see what is available . Keep in mind though that performances of some of Mozart 's better known works are as ubiquitous in Vienna as his balls are in Salzburg ;)

What Steven said. If you are a music lover, I can't imagine going to Vienna and not attending the opera or the Vienna Philharmonic. They are truly extraordinary and not to be missed. Another tip is to keep your eyes peeled around town as soon as you arrive in Vienna. Concerts are often advertised with posters slapped up everywhere and you can find some great stuff. Since you are travelling at the end of November, you may be able to catch some early advent concerts--there will be many--which could also be wonderful. A note about concerts in old churches: it will be freezing inside! They are typically not heated, or very minimally so, so dress warmly!

St. Anna's Church is what I would choose. The concerts at Mozart's home tend to be touristy. What dates will you be there? You could also go to a wonderful performance of The Merry Widow at the Volksoper...always great music and performances there. After the show head over to the Cafe Weimar for a late dinner...usually you will find members of the cast over there as well. http://www.cafeweimar.at/en/
Also the Advent Concerts at St Stephansdom might be very good.

Joanna , a couple more thoughts ; Alex' comment about the Volksoper is a great idea . While Lehar's Merry Widow is the best known example of operetta from Vienna's silver age of operetta ( early twentieth century through the nineteen twenties ) ,don't pass up a chance to see any of the operettas by Johann Strauss the second , Oscar Straus ( one S , no relation ) , Karl Michael Ziehrer , or Emmerich Kalman , all great composers . Also , if you are there on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon , have coffee and torte at Cafe Braunerhof at Stallburggasse 2 ,just a few blocks from the Hofburg . This is a classic cafe , and on weekend afternoons , a piano trio ( violin , cello , and piano ) plays Viennese waltzes and other ions . The group plays very well and it makes for a memorable experience . The coffee and cake there is great , too .

Every Sunday morning, the churches in old Vienna have beautiful high masses. For example: St Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) has classic masses from the greats (Shubert, Brahms, Mozart, etc) at 1015AM. Also, St Augustine Church (Augustinerkirche) regularly has musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic and State Opera. The cost of attendance? A simple donation to the church. Can't beat it.

Steven, Unfortunately Joanna is in Wien for 4 days at the end of November. I would have loved to recommend Die Csardasfurstin to her (a Kalman classic), or any Strauss, but there is none at that time. I am afraid the Merry Widow is the only good operetta during that time. Too bad, as we have enjoyed excellent performances of Der Zigeunerbaron (Strauss) and Grafin Maritza (Kalman)at the Volkoper.
Joanna, there is also sometimes a group that plays many of the operetta classics and other pieces at Cafe Central as well.