Always dreamed of visiting the Vienna Opera, but on the eve of the trip it turned out that there are no more tickets on the site. Later it turned out that they could be bought from dealers with a decent markup, their annoying attention directly at the opera building it is impossible not to evaluate. However, they did not attract my attention, but a group of Chinese sitting at one of the fountains. Exactly at 17-00, they vigorously headed for the building, and we followed them to the door, which is on the left side, if you face the central entrance. Inside there were already people, it is possible to stand only in the marked places, and the queue is rapidly grew.
People were no longer placed in the building and stood on the street. The hour of waiting and the ticket window opened. Tickets are issued one person personally. It is important to take a queue before, the higher the chance to be in the parter, at least there is a choice. If you went out or went down, the place will not recover. With me, you should have cash (4 euros Parter, 3 euros - gallery), will not pay the card. It is best to prepare the amount without passing, because 500 people receive tickets and went to the next stage, distribution to the places, allotted twenty minutes.
Finding in the hall of the Vienna Opera Hands immediately stretches behind the camera - there really is very beautiful, but you do not need to linger, otherwise the best places will take others. Up the stairs, the employees will prompt on the elevator on the gallery or to the parter and again turns: on the right, those who know English, left - preferring German. We spent on places for standing. You can learn on the railing with a red velvet. In front of small screens that are broadcast text (one by one for two places). Everything happens very nicely and organized. Its place can be noted by tagging a scarf or a handkerchief that everyone did on the advice of the caretaker, and went to inspect the building. Approximately half an hour to explore the hall, orchestral pit, climb on one of the elevators with the doormans, sit in the bed, visit the gallery, in the lobby, and of course photograph and be photographed in the interiors, where there are practically no annoying crowd. But gradually people arrive. Dress-code as such is not (this is told on the site). Someone comes in evening dresses in the floor, hats with a veil and fur capes, others are dressed every day, not throw, very many in jeans - tourists here are the majority.
Upper clothes, umbrellas, backpacks and massive bags will have to be handed over to the wardrobe. In order not to worry, it is necessary to foresee this and shift the values and documents in a compact bag. There is an intermission with a duration of 25 minutes, most viewers stroll and photographed, in the buffet of the pillar and long queues.
The hall was full! I have not seen any free space. They gave the Shostakovich, the music and unusual setting captured completely, time flew unnoticed. Most viewers left until the end were those who after the intermission did not return to the seats. It is worth noting that the audience attended all ages, but a long time to stand quite tediously, it is necessary to take into account the elderly people. For children, this option is not acceptable at all.
I am glad that I managed to visit the opera building and evaluate the skill of the performers, savingly a lot: the cost of a standard ticket plus the cost of a paid excursion, managed to see the outline of the process - organized and coordinated work of employees. There were both curious moments, the impressions of mass, there is something to remember.
