Think of Viennese music and you likely start humming The Blue Danube. But another music tradition in Vienna found its genesis in raucous taverns and continues today: the Wienerlied. And the Remassuri show gives you a loving taste of this folk genre.
- An authentic introduction to an authentic Vienna
- Music, song, theatrics & more
- Popular with locals
- Language not an issue
- Book tickets* to the show
- See also:
The Wienerlied updated
(I was there)
What you might describe as Viennese folk music and song developed in the 19th century in the hurly-burly of an imperial capital entering the modern era and filling with people from all over the empire.
This Wienerlied music genre reflects the Viennese soul with its mix of cordial good cheer, charming humour (albeit with an underlying bite to it), a love of the city, and a rather pessimistic, semi-morbid melancholy.
Yep, the Viennese soul is complicated.
And all sung, of course, in the Viennese dialect.
The Wienerlied has its own festival in late spring, and you might bump into a performance at a wine tavern. But an excellent tip for the city center is the Remassuri show, which combines a strong regard for tradition with a modern take on the genre.
So what do you get?
I managed to get a press ticket and went along to see for myself.
(The Schrammelquartett in action; press photo courtesy of Remassuri / Walfischgasse Musik GmbH)
No sniff of gimmickry or tackiness appeared for a start. Instead, Remassuri is an authentic rendering of Viennese music and entertainment by consummate performers: a genuine opportunity to experience traditional Vienna away from the classical concert halls.
The roughly 75-minute show was as eclectic a mix as the Viennese soul itself: music, songs, shadow theatre, a barrel organ, historical clips, mummenschanz (mask-based silent sketches), Punch and Judy even…and more.
Music and song dominated, though, with the former provided by four musicians making up the traditional “Schrammelquartett”: two violins, a button accordion and a contraguitar. All played with ease and obvious enjoyment.
A contraguitar is a double-necked guitar largely unique to Vienna. It combines a normal fretboard with a second set of bass strings. The fluidity of the player (Paul Seifried) left me mightily impressed. I swear he never looked at the strings once. As a (very) amateur guitarist, my hat is suitably tipped.
The singing, often as duets and with a little yodelling thrown in, reflected that sardonic, whimsical, melancholic Viennese style. And, as with the musicians, the singers were impeccable (as were all performers to be fair).
Those songs represent a kind of best-of set from decades of tradition in the wine taverns and small stages of the city. Their familiarity had the (largely local) audience joining in on occasion.
(A postcard published by the Wiener Werkstätte in 1911 with the design by Moriz Jung. Titled “At the heuriger”, it has the typical Schrammelquartett at the rear; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 311175; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
The overall quality of the show reflected the strength of the performers and the tradition behind the Wienerlied, but also the ingenuity and pedigree of Remassuri’s creative initiators:
- André Heller: multiple award-winning actor, singer, artist, designer, event manager & cultural entrepreneur (who sang in one of the old video clips, too)
- Ursula Strauss: multiple award-winning actress and singer
- Ernst Molden: multiple award-winning musician and writer
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, despite the language barrier.
Ah, yes, language.
The production is in German (the programme has a full English translation of its contents), but this wasn’t an issue. Indeed, it added to the authenticity of the performances.
(The bilingual programme is in German and English)
Remassuri actually contains little narration as such, and I’d guess around 95% of the show is either singing or without words (music and silent performances).
No, you won’t understand the song lyrics, but frankly nor would a lot of German speakers given the Viennese dialect used. I’m more or less fluent, and the words often left me like a bemused open-mouthed trout.
But the very nature of the dialect and the Wienerlied is such that it evokes a feeling without the need for understanding. Though you inevitably miss some of the nuance and humour.
All-in-all, Remassuri takes you on a lovely journey through the past and present of Viennese music and entertainment with a cheeky wink and a smile. Definitely worth considering to see a side of Vienna rarely mentioned in Habsburg-dominated brochures.
Tickets & tips
Tickets are available online from the organisers or agencies. The theatre is quite small, so you get a good view from any seat.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
The foyer has a small bar and shop, where you can, for example, pick up various CDs if you find yourself yearning for more Wienerlied music.
How to get there
The host stadtTheater is about as central as you can get and more or less opposite the state opera house.
Subway: take the U1, U2 or U4 to Karlsplatz station or the U1 and U3 to Stephansplatz.
Tram: jump on tram lines 1, 2, D or 71 to the Oper/Karlsplatz stop.
Address: Walfischgasse 4 1010 Vienna | Website