Vienna: Residenz Orchester Concert

The Vienna Residence Orchestra was founded by pianist and conductor Paul Moser and his wife, Sylvia, to perform the works of Viennese classical music. The orchestra performs in different venues around the city … several of which are former palaces. The music ranges from Mozart to Strauss, to Haydn and Beethoven.

The concert we went to tonight was held in the ballroom of the Old Stock Exchange Palace, located on the famous Ringstrasse … in the first district. Built by architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen between 1870-1877, the construction is typical of the Viennese style that is also known as Neo-Renaissance. Hansen, who was also the architect of the Vienna Musikverein and the Parliament, was considered a specialist in perfect acoustics, making the Old Stock Exchange perfect for concerts.

I had opted for VIP seating — guaranteeing seats in the first two rows — for the earlier of the two performances tonight. Turns out that was a good choice as attendance was light, and we got seats front row, center. (The 8:30p performance would be chock-a-block we were told at the ticket desk. I imagine it was … we counted five Viking River Cruise buses dropping off passengers as we were leaving … and another two buses were rounding the square, looking for a place to stop. Sssssh! Let’s not tell them that they overpaid for their tickets 😉).

No doubt that this concert is designed to entertain tourists. Nonetheless, we thoroughly enjoyed the music … our pleasure enhanced by the fact that most of the pieces were familiar to us. The concert ended with rousing renditions of Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca” (Turkish March) and Strauss’s “Radetzky March.” In addition to the music, there were mini-performances by two ballet dancers; and two opera singers.

When we left the concert, we initially thought to return to the downtown area to take some night shots. But the wind was downright brutal, so we decided to head home instead.

Tomorrow morning is planned as an easy one since our ticketed-event isn’t until 11:00a. We’ll see if we stick to that plan!Read more