Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, and Strauss (I & II) in one room would be quite a lineup. And the Wiener Klassik Ensemble at the Haus der Musik bring them all together for us in evening concerts.
- Recognisable highlight pieces
- Intimate setting & top sound
- c. 70 minute programme
- Good on-site combo with the Haus der Musik itself
- Book concert tickets*
- See also:
Viennese Classical highlights
(A professional string quartet plays highlights from Viennese classical history. Press photo courtesy and © YouOnTour Reisebüro GmbH)
One of the many things I like about Vienna is the city’s ability to double up on experiences.
You might learn about Mozart’s life in an apartment he actually lived in, for example. Or eat a cake in the same location that hosted Empress Elisabeth for a slice of something sweet.
And so it is with the concerts by the Wiener Klassik Ensemble, which I visited at a courtesy preview event.
The venue is the Haus der Musik, essentially an accessible museum of sound, full of interactive fun and information with a second focus on classical music.
Located in Palais Erzherzog Karl (the former home of the founder of the celebrated Wiener Philharmoniker orchestra), the museum has rooms dedicated to such famous “Viennese” composers as Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven.
(The lovely entrance to the Haus der Musik venue)
Since the museum opens late, you can dive into the lives of those greats and then enjoy their music in full without even leaving the building, all thanks to the evening concerts given by the Wiener Klassik Ensemble: a (very) professional string quartet.
Consider it an all-inclusive musical experience: interactive infotainment and real world classical music at one location.
Though you can, of course, just book concert tickets for the ensemble to add a classical end to any day in Vienna.
Mozart, Beethoven & more
Performances take place at the top of the museum in a small, modern-style concert room. This gives everything an intimate feel and the acoustics on my visit were, almost inevitably given the location, excellent. I could hear every contact of bow and string.
The programme feels like a highlights tour of the light classical music most closely associated with Vienna…a wander through the more famous works of:
- Mozart (e.g. Eine kleine Nachtmusik)
- Beethoven (e.g. Ode to Joy)
- Haydn (e.g. the Emperor Quartet)
- Schubert (e.g. Ave Maria)
- The Strauss family (e.g. the Blue Danube and the Radetzky March)
(Vienna has a remarkable number of top-class musicians. Press photo courtesy and © YouOnTour Reisebüro GmbH)
As such, you find yourself smiling as the opening bars of some legendary piece begin.
Given its contents, the programme is easy on the ear so ideal for those who want accessible, recognisable pieces and a kind of “best of” Vienna, but still in a professional setting.
And the four musicians seemed to have telepathic timing as their bows lifted effortlessly through just over an hour of music.
Tickets & tips
I sat at the back, but the sound was wonderful. So I wouldn’t be too concerned about the ticket category, especially given the small size of the room.
However, I always find a really close up view of the musicians proves rather enriching to the experience, so you might still prefer to sit right at the front.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
The modern ambience gives you a little more flexibility in terms of attire, but I have a whole article with advice on what to wear for classical concerts in Vienna.
Should you wish to add another refined classical touch to the experience, three lovely traditional coffee houses are not far away from the Haus der Musik: Café Sacher, Café Frauenhuber, and Café Schwarzenberg.
Alternatively, just nip over the road and grab something at Flanagan’s: another traditional location (in the Irish pub sense of the word!)
How to get there
The Haus der Musik venue is in the middle of the old town, so very central.
Subway: nearby stations include Karlsplatz (U1, U2 and U4), Stephansplatz (U1 and U3), and Stadtpark (U4).
Tram: take a short walk up Schwarzenbergstraße from Schwarzenbergplatz, which is a stop on lines 2, 71 and D.
Address: Seilerstätte 30, 1010 Vienna | Website (of the concert organisers)