The most important Opera House in the world – The Viennese Opera

The Viennese Opera House is certainly one of the most important Opera Houses in the world. It was built in 1869 to the design of the architects Eduard van der Null and August von Sicardsburg, but was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War.

The Opera House was rebuilt and reopened in 1955 and since then has offered performances of the highest quality to international audiences on more than 300 days of every year.

On these days, audiences are entertained by the most celebrated artists and the best opera-orchestra in the world – one from which the future members of the renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are chosen. The international reputation of the Vienna Opera House has been established by such famous directors as Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Clemens Kraus and Lorin Maazel.

The horseshoe-shaped auditorium provides 1709 seats and there are also three standing areas for another 567 people. Both seats and standing room areas are equipped with a bilingual subtitle system that enables members of the audience to read the text during the performance.

In addition to the enormous yearly repertoire of about 70 different pieces spanning several centuries, there have also been, since 1999, special performances arranged for children.