Classical music with a difference, enhanced by song, humour, and an intimate historical setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the Amadeus Concert.
- A journey through Vienna’s musical history
- In the historical small hall of the Ehrbar palais
- Felt like an intimate performance by friends
- Early evening so time for dinner afterwards
- Book an Amadeus concert ticket*
- See also:
Refreshingly entertaining
(A quintet of excellent performers; press photo courtesy of the organisers and © Viktoria Hofmarcher)
Back in 1877, prize-winning piano manufacturer Friedrich Ehrbar built a concert hall in a renaissance-inspired palais.
This Ehrbar Saal went on to play host to various great names, such as Mahler and Brahms. Like many venues in Vienna, it then experienced a checkered history broken by periods of alternative use: even great classical music cannot overcome the deprivations of war, for example.
But some 150 years after the palais first echoed to the sound of tinkling ivories, the location has returned firmly to its original purpose. The renowned piano manufacturer C. Bechstein took over and renovated everything back in 2021 and makes the large and small halls within available for public concerts.
One such concert is the regular Amadeus Concert in the smaller of the two halls. Armed with a press ticket, I dropped in one evening for an unexpectedly delightful performance.
I say unexpectedly simply because I see a lot of short concerts as part of work and life. Vienna can spoil you with the amount of classical music available and quality becomes routine.
The Amadeus Concert, however, proved refreshing and entertaining in equal measure, particularly in terms of format, music and performance.
(The Ehrbar Saal historical location)
The event consisted of six or seven segments with a quartet of musicians (violin, cello, bass, and piano) and, at times, a soprano. The programme followed a rough chronology of Viennese classical music…from Vivaldi to the early 20th century via Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and others.
So we heard Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Strauss II’s The Blue Danube, but also songs from the pens of Franz Lehár and Robert Stolz. Even a tango and a bit of 1930s swing. A lovely mix of the well-known and the less-well-known.
The violinist placed each segment in its historical context, speaking in English with elan while adding amusing anecdotes and stories.
The performance went beyond impeccable music and singing. All the musicians performed with gusto, the singer added theatricality to the occasion, and the quintet as a whole played with apparent joy and regular pinches of humour.
As such, everything felt intimate and relatable: like a private performance from accomplished friends. A concept enhanced by a glass of sparkling wine with the performers afterwards as part of the ticket.
I’d have happily kept listening beyond the 60-minute programme, which I don’t say after every classical concert. Nor was I the only one to feel like that given the rapturous applause at the end.
Tickets & tips
Tickets are available online from the event organiser or ticketing platforms, but not on the day from a box office.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
You have a free choice of seating, so it may make sense to get their early for the best places.
Having said that, though, the relatively small venue (I counted around 60 seats) means you are close to the action and have excellent sound wherever you sit. No need to worry about acoustics or line of sight. And polite and friendly staff helped latecomers find a seat.
In terms of dress code, I’d go with my usual recommendation for such classical events: smart casual.
The local area also has plenty to offer in terms of gastronomy for afterwards. You’re close to the Naschmarkt restaurants and bars, for example. You don’t even need to wander up the street to the Naschmarkt: we had a lovely bite to eat at the neighbouring Schlawiener Wirtshaus, for example.
You might also indulge in a bit of Hollywood history before a concert: the nearby Third Man Museum usually opens Saturdays afternoons outside of winter.
How to get there
Two top alternatives for reaching the Ehrbar Saal are:
- Get to Karlsplatz station on the U1, U2 or U4 subway and then take the 59A bus from the adjacent Oper/Karlsplatz stop and get off at Preßgasse
- Take the U4 subway to Kettenbrückengasse and then it’s a short walk to the palais
Address: Mühlgasse 30, 1040 Wien