A little known fact about Mozart, is that the Salzburg-born composer was
never very good about budgeting. After a wildly successful career in
Vienna, he died destitute and was buried in the pauper’s section of St.
Marx Cemetery in an unmarked grave. Although one possible location of
his grave is now marked by a monument, the truth is that Mozart’s
remains have been lost to history.
If
you are interested in Vienna's noted composers, The Wien Museum 
operates
a number of satellite facilities throughout the city that are focused on
the musical greats that called Vienna “home”. For information on
visiting the “apartments” associated with Haydn, Johann Strauß,
Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven, see this section of the Wien Museum’s
official website.
In addition to being noted as the home of noted composers and musicians,
Vienna is also famed for its music houses and palaces dedicated to the
arts. Here are a few that you should visit while in Vienna.
The Staatsoper, Vienna’s monumental opera house was built in 1869 as
part of the expansion related to the building of the Ringstrasse. The
Opera was destroyed during a bombing raid late in World War II. It
was rebuilt with great attention to detail and today, once again, is
known as one of the world’s great opera houses. Two daily tours are
available (sometimes more often in high tourist season) and the interior
of the Opera is sumptuous. See the Statsoper
official website for more details on this impressive music
center.
The
Musikverein, headquarters of the Society of the Friends of Music, is located on the Karlsplatz
and is another of the classic Ringstrasse
buildings. Known as the center
of Viennese musical culture, the Musikverein is the home of the
prestigious Vienna Philharmonic.
Constructed in the 1870’s, it is the host of the renowned Vienna New
Year’s Concert and is world famous for its unsurpassed acoustics. Tours
are offered, but not promoted. See this
page of the official
website for information on the tours that are available. Tickets for
concerts are usually scarce, but some may be available the day of
performances.
The entrance the Musikverein is located at Bösendorfer Straße 12.
Together with the Musikverein and the Staatsoper, the
Vienna
Konzerthaus
(1913) plays a central role in the music culture of Vienna and offers a
broader range of music than other institutions in the city. The season,
which runs from September to June, is hosted in four halls, allowing a variety of performances to be offered.
The Wiener Konzerthaus, located at Lothringerstrasse 20,
is short walk from the U4 Stadtpark Station and a 10 minute walk from
the Karlsplatz.
The Burgtheater Vienna, located at Dr. Karl-Lueger-Ring 2, is the
National Theater of dramatic art for Austria and is one of the largest
theaters in Europe with around 1200 seats. Located on the Ringstrasse,
the building's architecture is impressive. If you want to attend a
performance, you should know that most performances are in
German. See the official website for
more detail.
Alternatively, if you want to find out about a specific attraction and know
its name, look
for it in our
index to the best places to visit in
Vienna.
