The Staatsoper

The Staatsoper (State Opera House) is the crown jewel of the Austrian Classic music scene. Not very far from the MuseumsQuartier heading backward towards Inner Stadt & following the Ringstrasse rightwards, one meets one of the most iconic buildings in the city. The Staatsoper (State Opera House) is one of the most prominent Opera houses in the world today. It was the first major building on the Vienna Ringstrasse commissioned by the “city expansion fund”.

Work commenced on the building in 1861. It was completed in 1869. The building followed the plans drawn by the Austrian architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg & Eduard van der Nüll in a Neo-Renaissance style. The layout was initially not received with excitement by the Viennese. They used to refer to it as the “Königgrätz of architecture” (Austrian military disaster of 1866/Battle of Königgrätz) leading one of its architects to suicide one year before its inauguration. The opening took place on March 25, 1869. Emperor Franz Joseph & Empress Elizabeth (Sissi) were present at the opening premiere of Mozart’s “Don Jiovanni”.

Towards the end of World War II, the building was wounded by an American bombardment leaving the front section that included the foyer with the amazing frescoes by Moritz von Schwind, the main stairways the vestibule & the tea room intact. In 1955 the reconstructed Opera House finally reopened with many of its halls restored to their original form.

Since then the Opera is closely linked with Vienna Philarmonic & has been one of the busiest opera institutions in the world producing 50 to 60 operas & 300 ballet performances per year. The Opera’s magnificent interiors, the ceiling frescoes, the sculptures, and the golden decor create a sumptuous ambiance. The famous foyer & horseshoe-shaped red & gold auditorium altogether create an ensemble worth visiting even without attending one of the live concerts. Those are usually sold-out opera performances. The guided tour in Staatsoper usually lasts  1 hour. More