Like almost every evening, there is a crowd in front of the Staatsoperthe Vienna Opera. Getting there is almost commonplace for Austrians, explains Alexander, a regular there: “HASGoing to the opera is part of our identity, and here it is very easy to access. At the Vienna Opera, for example, there is a reserved entrance for standing room. You can go there a few minutes before the performance and get a ticket for just a few euros.”
It’s a Opera that the great Gustav Mahler conducted at the beginning of the 20th century. Before him, many Austrian composers left their mark on the country: Mozart well sure but also Haydn, Schubert, or the Strauss, father and son, to name but a few some. A heritage of which the Austrians are proud, like Jakob. “Here we greatly value this heritage and we strive to keep it alive. The work of classical composers is very often performed. And big events like the New Year’s concert help spread this culture internationally.” he explains.
The New Year’s concert is followed every year by 50 million viewers around the world. This influence of classical music can sometimes mask the importance of other forms of art in Austria considers Meltem: “IThere are many interesting modern music groups in Austria. If you are interested in music, you also have to go and listen to them and not just classical music. There’s also a lot of street art here, you see it along the Danube Canal for example.”
“We welcome this interest in music, but our mission is also to broaden the horizon and show all that Vienna has to offer.”
L’one of the objectives of the Vienna Tourist Office, where Florian Wiesinger works, is to to show travelers the incredible cultural diversity of the country. “In the city center alone, in just one square kilometer there are almost 30 museums”, he indicates. And before coming to Austria, you can now you already dip in the rich Austrian literature. From Stefan Zweig to Thomas Bernhard, from Robert Musil to Peter Handke, there are many authors to discover, by listening, why not, to a music concert, classical or not.