Il Barbiere di Siviglia

BaRbEr Of SeViLlE!!!!!!! Having the first live opera I’ve watched since 5th grade (field trip to see Magic Flute!) be at the Wiener Staatsoper, is something very much like a dream.  I absolutely have fallen in love with opera. 

waiting in line!

my view!

       A group of IES students got in line 3 hours before the performance to buy standing room tickets. For a short-ish wait and a mere 4 Euros I was standing maybe 50 feet from the stage with an uninhibited view. (I was lucky to have a very short Austrian man in front of me.  AND I slinked a little off to the side of my row so I could lean against the wall.  Es war perfekt!) 

 

Before the start of the performance we had some time to run around the Staatsoper to take pictures or grab a beverage. 

I even made a friend that night. Asked one of the ushers if he’d take a picture with me and he replied “of course”.  Glaringly American of me? Yes. Resulting in a spectacular photo that I cherish with all of my heart?? YES!  

 

            I grabbed a small espresso (Einen kleinen Schwarzen, bitte?!) before the beginning so I could be sure to be awake! I’m notorious for falling asleep during the first piece of a classical concert, especially if it’s a Mozart Piano Concerto. It’s embarrassing really. But the second the overture started, I knew I wasn’t going to be having that problem. 

            The orchestra and the singers were magnificent and aside from having to shift my weight uncomfortably back and forth between my feet (standing still for 3 hours isn’t as easy as I thought it would be), it was the perfect night. Between the two acts, we sat down in our standing places to have a rest. Not a bad view from there either! It’s Viennese tradition to tie a scarf over the rail where you’re standing to mark your place, so you always have to be sure to bring a scarf or ribbon or to do just that! That way, if you leave during intermission you know where your place is and no one will take it. Everyone honors that very well actually!

            The Opera house puts on a performance almost every evening! (Some friends went to see Otello Sunday afternoon!) Next time I attend, I’ll bring a snack and some homework for the line for sure!…and then pay almost nothing to see some of the greatest live performances available in Vienna! I definitely plan to see as many operas as possible. I can’t wait until later in the season when they do some Puccini operas (<3!!), Carmen, and Tannhäuser. 3 Euros and you’re up high in the balcony. But with 4 Euros, you’re on the floor level, and close enough to see the singers’ faces! It was unreal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDQLy84ad04