Vienna is the classical music capital of the world and any trip to the city, without watching a concert or an opera, is incomplete. We were privileged to watch a concert on Saturday night at the Wiener Musikverein, the home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. That night, there was a wonderful performance by the Birmingham Chamber Music Orchestra.
We expected the opulent and elegant concert hall, which hosts a very famous New Year Concert, to have a reasonably large audience but the place was actually filled to capacity. Dress codes are not necessarily the norm and it's not the snobbish elite that goes for such a concert, but it did feel odd to be dressed in casuals, when the place was full of classical music connoisseurs dressed for the occasion.
The chandeliers in the concert hall reminded me of the Belgian chandeliers in the Durbar Hall of the Udaipur City Palace. As the band played away, I couldn't help but feel that I was transported back to the time of the Habsburg Dynasty. This was another world, a tradition well preserved, right down to a drink of sparkling white wine just before the start.
As the concert came to a close, the knowledgeable audience in one of the most beautiful concert halls on earth gave a standing ovation to the orchestra. This concert was one of the highlights of my fortnight in Europe.
The chandeliers in the concert hall reminded me of the Belgian chandeliers in the Durbar Hall of the Udaipur City Palace. As the band played away, I couldn't help but feel that I was transported back to the time of the Habsburg Dynasty. This was another world, a tradition well preserved, right down to a drink of sparkling white wine just before the start.
As the concert came to a close, the knowledgeable audience in one of the most beautiful concert halls on earth gave a standing ovation to the orchestra. This concert was one of the highlights of my fortnight in Europe.
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