Top international soloists, directors and stage designers greatly enjoy presenting their art to knowledgeable and discerning Viennese audiences. And the roster of directors of the august house on Vienna’s Ring Boulevard contains a number of eminent musicians such as Gustav Mahler (1897 - 1907), Richard Strauss (1919 - 1924), Herbert von Karajan (1956 - 1964) and Claudio Abbado (1986 - 1991).

The repertory of the Vienna State Opera offers an impressive cross-section of the entire range of operas – among the works are Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco,” W. A. Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” and Richard Wagner’s “Lohengrin.”

In the 2009-10 season , aside from the four premieres with star-studded casts, the program includes the formidable project of staging the "Ring of the Nibelungen" under Franz Welser-Möst, directed by Sven-Eric Bechtolf, will be brought to a close with "Götterdämmerung" and "Rheingold"; in Charles Gounod's "Faust," Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna will be starring together; there will be a staging of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece "Eugene Onegin."

Live opera transmissions

In May, June, September and October about 120 performances are broadcast on a huge screen at the Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz, the square in front of the opera building. Opera for free for everyone...

The building itself was erected between 1863 and 1869 as one of the first great monuments of the new Ring Boulevard . The Royal-Imperial Court Opera Theater, as it was first called, was designed by the architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll.

Once a year, the stage and orchestra stalls of the Vienna State Opera turn into a giant dance floor – for the Vienna Opera Ball . More than a hundred debutante couples in long evening dress and tailcoats open the ball in the presence of the Austrian Federal President; once more, one can feel the ambiance of the Vienna of the great Ring Boulevard era ...

By the way: during guided tours , you can get an impression of the workings of this splendid opera house. The Vienna State Opera Museum lends an insight into the history of this institution and casts opera lovers under its spell.

Vienna State Opera

1., Opernring 2
U, tram, bus: Karlsplatz/Oper
Guided tours upon request; see also announcements at the entrance Operngasse/ Opernring
tel. 514 44-2250
www.wiener-staatsoper.at

Café Oper Wien

Mon-Sat 8 am - midnight
So 9.30 am - midnight
tel. 513 39 57 www.cafeoperwien.at

Tip from the Scene

For the budget-minded, there are sometimes tickets left over shortly before the performance begins, and also standing room places.