18:42 Finished dinner and a call with a friend. Looked at the time…cursed under my breath.
18:43 Looked down at my shirt. Thought to myself, “I should have a collar for the opera, but oh well”.
18:44 Walked out the door. Checked phone for any possible transit to get to the Theater an der Wien by 6:58. Closest transit would bring me to the opera at 7:03.
18:45 Picking up the walking pace, I looked to see how many kilometers-2.5…
18:45:05 I ran
18:46 I ran
18:49 Yep, still running then. Oh no, dead-end- I ran.
18:55 Okay getting close.
18:57 There it is!
18:58 “Haben Sie Reskarten?” I asked for student tickets at the ticket window. The cashier looks at my panting face and dripping nose. She hands me a tissue, as I glow unnaturally red in the face. She proceeds to slowly print out a 15 Euro student ticket.
18:59 Grabbed the ticket out the printer myself and ran. I threw my jacket, scarf and hat at the wardrobe. “I’ll tip you later!” I thought in my head.
18:59:30 I run up the stairs to the seat. Ooo, it’s a good seat. I hope I don’t smell… I sigh.
17:00 Carl Maria Von Weber’s Euryanthe begins at the Theater an der Wien.
Welcome to Vienna, a city where on average 10,000 classical concert-goers experience something that can only happen in this musical mecca. Although genres such as Jazz, Pop, Folk and others are obscure in Vienna’s entertainment industry, the classical music is alive and commercialized. I might have mixed feelings about the two billion-dollar industry of Mozart in Austria, but I do not have mixed feelings about the vitality of the music. Of course, as a classical musician myself, this is freakin’ awe-some.
On the special nights I decide to go to a concert, there are so many options. I have learned to have a plan B just in-case the first option doesn’t turn out. Just this last Tuesday after not getting a standing room ticket to the Staatsoper’s production of Die Zauberflöte, I was able to hop onto the U1 U-Bahn and go to the Kammeroper and watch Don Carlos. They sold me the ticket after the performance had started and snuck me into the theater during a small pause. They went above and beyond, but I duly thanked them for their effort! Only in this city, would they also care that the audience receives the best experience possible. Whether I am paying 3 Euro for a standing room ticket or buying a student ticket at the Konzerthaus for 12 Euro, I am treated the same as if I were a full-paying concertgoer. This all is an amazing feeling.
You might have wondered why that experience was described in detail. The concert described above, is just one of my many concert going experiences. Many times, whether tired, behind, or stressed, I would do anything including running one-and-a-half miles in about eleven minutes to go see this opera. I have very few pictures or articles of these amazing nights. The memories are in my ears and in my heart. I however, encourage you to come to Vienna and experience these experiences. If you ever need some great suggestions, just shoot me a message at David.m.gatchel@gmail.com.
Thoughts with David 