Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Palais Lobkowitz
- Musikverein
- State Opera
Photos & Highlights
- Explore Vienna's famed music scene from the time of Mozart and Beethoven
- Led by a local music scholar, cultural historian, or industry insider
Select a date
Tour Description
Vienna and music are inseparable. The passion for music in Vienna has guided and nurtured Western music since the 17th century, and has attracted some of the greatest musicians and composers that have ever lived to the city: Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and dozens upon dozens of others. On this Vienna Opera tour with a local historian, we’ll visit sites associated with the major figures of music history, learning how music has shaped Viennese society and tracing the roots of beloved classical music traditions which are still practiced today.
Vienna Music Tour - Genius and Mastery
We'll begin by tracing a course through the city's 1st District (also the site of our Vienna Walking Tour), stopping at some of the notable corners where famous musical residents spent time or left a mark. We’ll marvel at the exterior of the State Opera, where many an aspiring young singer has dreamed of debuting. Just a few blocks away, we may stop at the Theater Museum, which houses a charming collection of set models and costumes, as well as the grand “Eroica Hall,” named after Beethoven’s Third Symphony.
Life’s a Stage
As one of the most popular outlets for classical music in Vienna, this walk will also dive into opera, which Wagner conceived as Gesamtkunstwerk—“complete artwork.” The fusion of music, drama, and visual arts, such as costumes and set design, have long made this tradition a central part of Vienna’s musical history. During the visit of the lovely stage model exhibition on the second floor of Palais Lobkowitz, our guide will paint a picture of life in the theater, making reference to notable operatic works and peppering the walk with anecdotes drawn out of history and contemporary opera culture. Using art and architecture to help these stories come to life before us, we’ll immerse ourselves in Imperial Vienna and the music that has long made it soar. (For more on the opulence of Imperial Vienna, try our Schonbrunn Palace Tour.)
Music Around Every Corner
Although music lovers will be enthralled, this walk is designed for any culturally curious person. Day to day, group to group, the walk will differ, depending on the interests of the participants as well as the intellectual and professional background of the guide. We may make stops at the Mozart House, seek out statues and monuments sprinkled throughout the city center, discuss the avant-garde composers of the Second Viennese School, or explore the history of the world-famous Vienna Philharmonic. No matter which route we take to weave past the haunts of Vienna’s great composers, we’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how musical arts and this refined city have become beautifully and irreversibly intertwined.
FAQ
Does your walk include the interior of the State Opera House?
No, this tour does not go inside of the Opera House due to guiding restrictions.
Are all tour costs included in the tour price?
The Theater Museum requires payment on-site that you will be responsible for. All other costs are included in the tour price.
No, this tour does not go inside of the Opera House due to guiding restrictions.
Are all tour costs included in the tour price?
The Theater Museum requires payment on-site that you will be responsible for. All other costs are included in the tour price.
Where You'll Start
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65 Reviews
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Nicely rounded out our trip to Vienna and our knowledge
Linda
Reviewed on:
Jun 13, 2013
Gilles seemed like a nice person but certainly not a good tour guide. I wonder if he was a substitute since it was a holiday in Vienna (May 1st) but he certainly didn't impart much information on the history of music in Vienna, as the tour description had promised. In fact, he told us very little about the city's famous composers. We learned that he isn't a music historian but a set designer for operas. He spent a lot of time talking about the evolution of set design for operas and very little about the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and Strauss. Also, the tour description said we would be using audio players to listen to some of the works under discussion - he only discussed and played one selection, and that was in Palais Lobkowitz.
We have friends going to Vienna in the fall and they were going to take this tour. I have told them that it was a waste of good money.
Janet
Reviewed on:
May 9, 2013
OVerall a good walk but we had hoped to learn a little more about music and the history of music in Vienna.
Tim
Reviewed on:
Mar 18, 2013
