Of Operas

We had two-and-a-half days in Vienna this weekend. It was almost maddening to have so little time in such a magnificent city, but we packed in as much as we possibly could. The thing that I will remember most clearly is the opportunity to attend the Vienna City Opera, one of the greatest opera companies in the world.

On Saturday night, we all donned classy clothes brought specifically for this occasion, and headed out to see Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera, which premiered in Vienna more than two hundred years ago. Unlike most operas, Fidelio celebrates loyalty and married love, as the plot revolves around Leonore, a woman disguised as a man (Fidelio) in order to free her husband from unjust imprisonment. Also rare, the opera ends happily, with the downfall of the tyrant and the reunion of Leonore and Florestan. This particular production was superb (as one would expect from the Vienna Opera) and traditionally staged.

Simply being in the opera house was an experience. We were scattered throughout the audience, and most of us had the sixth seat in a box. The boxes are luxurious, with red velvet upholstery and an area behind the seats with a coat rack, but there is a catch. Being seated in a box at the opera sounds grand enough, the sixth seat is the one behind five other people, so if you want to actually see the opera instead of just hearing it you have to stand, kneel on your bar-stool-height chair, or, if you’re particularly determined, stand on your chair. It’s an adventure. During the intermission Anna and I decided to abandon our seats in boxes and go up to the nosebleeds section in the gallery – standing room only – where we had an excellent view of the second act.

After Fidelio, we thought we were through with our opera experience, but around noon on Sunday we realized that Götterdämmerung, the last part of Wagner’s four-part Ring cycle, was playing that afternoon, and Dr. Shaffer told us that anyone who wanted to go was welcome to. Going to Götterdämmerung is quite a commitment: the opera is four hours long with two half-hour intermissions. It started at four, and we knew that we wouldn’t be finished until 9:30. Three of us, Anna, Henry, and I, decided that we wanted to go. We bought standing-room tickets for the unbelievable price of 3 euros each. (3 euros! To see Götterdämmerung at the Vienna Opera!) Thankfully, we were able to find places with a ledge behind us, so during musical interludes were able to sit down and rest.

The opera was spectacular. Although I actually preferred the production and plot of Fidelio, the opportunity to experience the musical grandeur of a Wagner opera of epic proportions is like no other. It was especially meaningful for me, because I grew up hearing my grandmother telling stories about the Vienna opera and the splendor of Wagner. Based on German mythology, Götterdämmerung handles honor, betrayal, the return of a ring of power to its rightful owners (Rhine river maidens), and the twilight of the gods. The music and plot is so intense that I was ultimately glad the set was rather modern and minimalist – something more traditional might have resulted in sensory overload.

When the opera was through, we were all in awe. Being able to see not one, but two phenomenal operas in Vienna was a surreal and unforgettable part of the trip.