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Vienna: Mozart Concert at the Golden Hall
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The Musikverein in Vienna is universally recognised as one of the three most prestigious concert halls in the world, together with the Symphony Hall in Boston and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Inaugurated on 6 January 1870 by Emperor Franz Joseph, this temple of classical music is the beating heart of Vienna’s musical tradition and the permanent home of the famous Vienna Philharmonic.
Designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen in neoclassical style, the building stands majestically at Bösendorferstraße 12, just a few steps from Karlsplatz and Vienna’s historic centre. Its Golden Hall (Goldener Saal) has become a world icon thanks to the New Year’s Concert broadcast live on television to more than 90 countries every 1 January, reaching an audience of around 50 million.
The Musikverein is not just a building, but the tangible expression of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Friends of Music), founded in 1812 with the aim of promoting and preserving Viennese musical culture. This institution has contributed greatly to the development of Viennese concert life, hosting premieres of composers such as Brahms, Bruckner and Dvořák.
To visit the Musikverein is to immerse oneself in over 150 years of musical history, where every stone tells of great performers, legendary conductors and unrepeatable moments that marked the evolution of European classical music.
The Golden Hall is the architectural jewel of the Musikverein and one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world. Measuring 48 metres long, 19 metres wide and 18 metres high, it offers 1,744 seats and 300 standing places, creating an intimate ambience despite its large proportions.
The gilded caryatids supporting the galleries and the magnificent ceiling decorated with Apollo and the nine Muses create an atmosphere of rare beauty. The gold covering many surfaces is not only decorative: it contributes to the acoustic reflection that makes this hall unique for its optimal reverberation of 2.05 seconds. The fir wood floor and mathematically perfect proportions ensure an even distribution of sound in every corner of the hall.
The Rieger organ, inaugurated in 2011, represents the latest development in an organ-building tradition dating back to 1872. With 6,134 pipes distributed over 83 registers, this instrument uses the neo-classical wooden case of the first organ, combining historical tradition and modern technology. The organ is regularly used for solo concerts and choral accompaniments.
The Brahms Hall, more intimate than the Golden Hall with its 600 seats, retains the original elegance of Hansen’s design. Restored according to the original plans, this hall features walnut décor and acoustics particularly suited to chamber music and solo recitals.
The name pays tribute to Johannes Brahms, who conducted many of the first performances of his symphonic works here. The hall regularly hosts concerts by the Vienna Mozart Orchestra and is the ideal place to hear chamber music repertoire in an ambience that recreates the atmosphere of 19th century Viennese music.
The arrangement of the audience on two levels creates a particularly close relationship with the performers, while the small dimensions allow every dynamic and timbral nuance of the instruments to be appreciated. The Vienna Chamber Orchestra and numerous international chamber ensembles regularly choose this hall for their Viennese performances.
Since 2004, the Musikverein has had four new halls in the underground extension: the Glass Hall, the Metal Hall, the Stone Hall and the Wooden Hall. Each of these halls, with capacities ranging from 180 to 380 seats, is characterised by the materials that give it its name and acoustics specifically designed for contemporary repertoire.
The Magna Auditorium (Glass Hall) hosts lectures, master classes and concerts of contemporary music, while the other halls are mainly dedicated to chamber music, jazz and world music concerts. These spaces allow the Musikverein to expand its programming beyond the traditional classical repertoire, embracing contemporary and experimental musical languages.
The modern architecture of these halls, designed by Wimmer und Partner, harmoniously integrates with the historic structure, creating a dialogue between past and present that reflects the continuous evolution of Viennese musical culture.
Tickets for concerts at the Musikverein vary considerably depending on the event, hall and seat category. For regular concerts in the Golden Hall, prices generally range between €25 and €150, while special events with internationally renowned artists can go up to €200. Concerts in the Brahms Hall have more affordable prices, usually between 20€ and 80€.
Tickets for the New Year’s Eve Concert are a special case: the concert on 1 January is priced between 35€ and 1,200€, while the repeats on 30 and 31 December offer the same musical quality at lower prices (20€ to 600€). Tickets for the New Year’s Eve concerts are purchased exclusively via an online lottery on the Vienna Philharmonic website, with registration open from January to February of the previous year.
For regular concerts, purchase can be made online seguendo questa pagina, at the physical ticket office or via the main sales circuits. It is advisable to book well in advance, especially for concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic and events with world-renowned conductors or soloists. The Vienna City Card offers discounts of 10-15% on tickets for many concerts.
The Musikverein ticket office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. On concert days, the box office remains open until one hour after the start of the performance, including weekends and public holidays. During technical closure periods (generally one week in August), all services are suspended.
To visit the Musikverein in its entirety via guided tours, it is recommended to spend about 45 minutes. The tours are conducted in German and English, by prior arrangement, and include access to the Golden Hall, the Brahms Hall and the historic common areas. During evening concerts, it is possible to arrive 30 minutes earlier to admire the illuminated interiors, while entry to the halls is usually 15 minutes before the start of the performance.
Concerts vary in time: evening concerts generally start at 7.30 or 8 p.m., afternoon concerts at 3.30 or 4 p.m., and Sunday morning concerts at 11 a.m. The duration varies from 60 minutes for recitals to 2½ hours for symphony concerts with intermission.
The Musikverein is located at Bösendorferstraße 12 in Vienna’s first district, centrally located between Karlsplatz and the Ring. The nearest underground station is Karlsplatz (lines U1, U2 and U4), just a 2-minute walk from the main entrance. The ‘Oper/Karlsplatz’ exit from the station leads directly to the square in front of the Musikverein.
From Stephansplatz station (lines U1 and U3), the Musikverein is an 8-minute walk along Kärntner Straße to the Opera and on to Karlsplatz. This is ideal if you want to combine a visit to the Musikverein with a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral or the Old Town.
Several tram lines stop at Karlsplatz: lines 1, 2, D, 62 and 71 offer direct connections from different parts of the city. Bus lines 59A and 4A have stops in the immediate vicinity, and for those arriving from Vienna Airport, the City Airport Train (CAT) goes to the Wien-Mitte station, from where the U3 line leads to Karlsplatz in 10 minutes.
Tram line D is particularly convenient for getting to the Musikverein from areas such as Schönbrunn Palace or the Prater, while those staying in the Ring area can use tram lines 1 and 2, which run around the entire ring of the city centre.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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