I have been in Vienna visiting Nick since the 22nd, and we've done a lot of fun things. Last Monday was the Nationalfesttag in Austria, the National Day, which celebrates the departure of the last occupying soldiers after WWII, in 1955. All of the stores are closed that day and no one works, so we did something a little special and visited the Donauinsel.
There is a long, skinny island that runs down the Danube for several miles in Vienna, and it is a great place for bikers, walkers, rollerbladers, and roaming pups. We mainly went for the last reason. Mason had a great time, and even the U-bahn ride to and from the island didn't bother him that much. We were impressed with how blue the water was, which unfortunately doesn't come across in the pictures.
On Tuesday night we went to our first opera at the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera House). We wanted to get standing room tickets, which cost between 3 and 5 euros, and allow the ticketholder a spot behind a velvet-covered bar. These are located on the first floor under the balcony, on both sides of the balcony, and then somewhere on the gallery. We had a decision to make, because there are pros and cons for each area. We decided on the balcony, because that would guarantee that I would be able to see, and it was rumored that the acoustics were better up there. The process for getting these tickets is rather strange: 1) up until 2 hours before the show you wait in the first line 2) at about 2 hours before a new part of the line is opened up, closer to the box office, so the line scoots up 3) at 1:15 the box office opens and you buy your ticket very quickly, and immediately run to the line that starts for the area you have chosen to sit in 4) then at 1:00 our balcony line was moved up closer to the balcony entrance 5) finally at 45 min. before the opera starts you are allowed to go to your area, where you jostle others for the best spots and then claim them by tying a scarf to the railing. Then you are free to go. The rules are very strict and everyone follows them exactly - no one would dare disrespect someone else's scarf or take too long buying the tickets.
The opera we chose was Lady MacBeth of the Mtensk District, by Shostakovich. This is actually a very historic opera, because it was so scandalous that it provoked Stalin to clamp down publicly on composers, and Shostakovich in particular, in 1936. Shostakovich wrote in his memoires that for several nights after the article criticizing the opera in Pravda was printed, he slept in the hallway of his apartment building, so that when the KGB came to arrest him his family wouldn't witness it. Nick and I are both fond of the music for the opera. The sets were rather simple, but there was an interesting use of light and shadow, and the thoughtful color scheme for everything was white, black, and gray. All of the singers were excellent, especially the lead soprano. And it's really not difficult to stand for several hours if you have something to lean on.
The opera house looks incredible. We only took one picture of it ourselves, but you can view more pictures here (need latest flash installed, look for "360° Panoramatour"). During WWII it was severely damaged by Allied planes, because it was thought that the Nazis were hiding something in the building. After the war this was one of the buildings that underwent renovation as soon as possible, and it was actually re-opened in 1955. The extremely ornate surfaces of the old opera house were retained, and its sumptuous appearance gives an indication of the importance opera holds in Austrian culture, and also of how closely this art form has been allied with past and present Austrian governments.
My favorite part of any musical performance, as long as I enjoyed it, is the end when the audience finally expresses itself and applauds. For me this is the chance to give the performers some sense of how much you appreciate that they have dedicated their lives to giving others the experience of art. In the U.S. the applause period can be very heartfelt, but the right kinds of people have to be there, and enough of them, so that the applause will keep going for sometime. Even though many people at the Shostakovich opera didn't know this work well, the applause still lasted for at least five minutes at the end. I have to say that there were several Americans, who all seemed to be "studying abroad" (partying) in Europe, who also bought standing room tickets, and they all left either well before the opera was over, or in the middle of the applause. I think this shows the contrasting view that Austrians and Americans have of art. The Austrians still understand art as a lofty thing, whereas for so many Americans art has become just another commodity, to be consumed quickly and cheaply. The students probably felt that since they had paid for their tickets they were entitled to treat the performance however they liked. This is a perspective that is perfectly fair in terms of money, but really guys, you just got to see an entire opera by an amazing composer, at one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world, for 3 euros! Isn't something more than an exchange of goods and payment taking place? Let's take the chance at a performance to celebrate art itself and all of the humble people who bring it to us!
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