{"id":18961,"date":"2019-10-04T05:06:13","date_gmt":"2019-10-04T04:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=18961"},"modified":"2025-11-14T11:16:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:16:45","slug":"theater-wien","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/theater-wien\/","title":{"rendered":"Theater an der Wien"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/theateranderwiensmall.jpg\" alt=\"Coat of arms above an entrance\" class=\"wp-image-18967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/theateranderwiensmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/theateranderwiensmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Vienna&#8217;s newest opera house is actually its oldest. The Theater an der Wien began life over two centuries ago as a venue for all sorts of musical entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Colourful history dates back to 1801<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fully-fledged modern opera house since 2006<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hosted premieres by Beethoven, Strauss, Schubert, and others<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extensive renovation completed in 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discount on some price categories with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/vienna-welcome-card\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"77567\">Vienna Welcome Card<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Opera\" rel=\"sponsored\">concert experience<\/a>* for your trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/activities\/opera-in-vienna\/\">Opera in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/when-is-the-opera-season\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"19354\">When is the opera season?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/beethoven\/\">Beethoven locations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/mozart\/\">Mozart locations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/johann-strauss\/\">Strauss locations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vienna&#8217;s &#8220;oldest&#8221; opera house<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/theateranderWien2024.jpg\" alt=\"Front view of a theater\" class=\"wp-image-78173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/theateranderWien2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/theateranderWien2024-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The front entrance post-refurbishment)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Theater an der Wien broadly means &#8220;Theatre by the River Wien&#8221;, which might surprise you if you saw the place: any water is notable only for its absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The building certainly used to be close to the river. But engineers sent the Wien underground here over 100 years ago. So the water now runs below the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/shopping\/markets\/naschmarkt\/\">Naschmarkt<\/a> international open-air market opposite. You can actually see it on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/third-man-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"62196\">Third Man sewer tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\">Staatsoper<\/a> may hold the number 1 spot when it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/activities\/opera-in-vienna\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1660\">opera houses in Vienna<\/a>, but the Theater an der Wien certainly beats its illustrious colleague on one measure: age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A brief history<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/theateranderwien1816.jpg\" alt=\"1816 watercolour of a theatre\" class=\"wp-image-79398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/theateranderwien1816.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/theateranderwien1816-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Theater an der Wien as painted by Jakob Alt around 1816; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 15589; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A fellow named Emanuel Schikaneder built the original theatre in 1801 (more on him later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A chequered history then followed, with an ever-changing repertoire of musical and theatrical styles and genres, occasional phases of disuse, periods of great popularity (like today), and various rebuilds, refits and refurbishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest period of reconstruction and modernisation lasted over two years; the theatre reopened on October 12th, 2024 with a concert performance of Mozart&#8217;s <em>Idomeneo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house also has a second venue (the Kammeroper) on Fleischmarkt in the very centre of Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/theateranderwien2024.jpg\" alt=\"Auditorium of an opera house\" class=\"wp-image-76405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/theateranderwien2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/theateranderwien2024-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(View of the auditorium after the 2024 reopening; press photo \u00a9 Peter M. Mayr)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Staatsoper actually moved into the main location for a while while its own house was rebuilt after WWII.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, the Theater an der Wien morphed into a successful venue for musicals before reopening as a dedicated opera house in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In its modern guise, the location has built an excellent reputation and become a significant player on the global opera scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Theatre an der Wien even won an International Opera Award in 2025 in the Opera Company category, as well as one in 2016 for <em>Peter Grimes<\/em> in the New Production category and another in 2024 for <em>Kublai Khan<\/em> in the Rediscovered Work category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house also received nominations, for example, in the awards&#8217; 2019 Opera Company and 2020\/2021 Education &amp; Outreach categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The composer connections<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only does the Theater an der Wien put on works by the world&#8217;s great composers, but the institution has a strong historical connection to several of these musical geniuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emanuel Schikaneder, who you&#8217;ll remember built the place, actually wrote the libretto to Mozart&#8217;s <em>The Magic Flute<\/em> and played the role of Papageno himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nip around the side of the building to see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/papagenotor\/\">Papagenotor<\/a> entrance, which immortalises a key scene in the opera:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mozartpapagenotor.jpg\" alt=\"Papageno statues at the Theater an der Wien\" class=\"wp-image-77915\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mozartpapagenotor.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mozartpapagenotor-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Schikaneder&#8217;s famous role immortalised in stone: post-refurbishment)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The connection to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/beethoven\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2056\">Beethoven<\/a> is even stronger. He lived and worked here for a while; several of his compositions, including three symphonies, premiered here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Theater an der Wien even hosted the first-ever performance of Beethoven&#8217;s only opera. For ten Gulden, you could get the best seat in the house for the opening night of Fidelio on Wednesday, November 20th, 1805 (beginning at 6.30pm).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other famous composers premiered works here, too. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Schubert (e.g. <em>Die Zauberharfe <\/em>in 1820)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Franz Leh\u00e1r (e.g. <em>Die lustige Witwe<\/em> in 1905)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Johann Strauss II (e.g. <em>Die Fledermaus<\/em> in 1874 and <em>Das Spitzentuch der K\u00f6nigin<\/em> in 1880).  Incidentally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/strauss-museum\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"22944\">Johann Strauss Museum<\/a> is just a short walk away if you want to learn more about the King of the Waltz<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/theateranderWien2024a.jpg\" alt=\"Theater poster and building fa\u00e7ade\" class=\"wp-image-79399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/theateranderWien2024a.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/theateranderWien2024a-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(All looking good after the renovation)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every premiere proved an unqualified success, though. One reviewer wrote of Strauss&#8217;s work (my translation):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Die Fledermaus fluttered for the first time through the house. Since its musical wings and librettistic tail had grown too pitifully short, it flopped. Poor Fledermaus.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the Theater an der Wien and Strauss&#8217;s famous operetta, that review has not aged well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you visit, be sure to wander up and down the road outside the main entrance. Quite apart from the joys of the Naschmarkt&#8217;s restaurants and gastronomic market, both the golden-domed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/secession\/\">Secession building<\/a> and Otto Wagner&#8217;s gorgeous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/majolika-house\/\">Majolikahaus<\/a> are close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the Theater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A major subway station (Karlsplatz on the U1, U2 and U4 lines) is just a short walk away; take the exit marked Secession from the station. Other nearby subway stations include Kettenbr\u00fcckengasse on the U4 and Museumsquartier on the U2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bus 59A stops at B\u00e4renm\u00fchldurchgang, which is also close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Linke Wienzeile 6, 1060 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theater-wien.at\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1BrCYLfHiiy85k0jpzDwlKspb31KiYq4Y\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vienna&#8217;s newest opera house is actually its oldest. The Theater an der Wien began life over two centuries ago as a venue for all sorts of musical entertainment. Vienna&#8217;s &#8220;oldest&#8221; opera house (The front entrance post-refurbishment) Theater an der Wien broadly means &#8220;Theatre by the River Wien&#8221;, which might surprise you if you saw the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18961","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-opera","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18961"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87090,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18961\/revisions\/87090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}