Paul

My wife and I are visiting Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, and Vienna during July-August this summer. We would really enjoy seeing a philharmonic orchestra in each of these four cities. Anyone have recommendations for concert halls that combine great atmosphere with great music? If we want good seats, should we order tickets in advance or can we walk up the day of the performance? <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark

I'm interested as well, just moving it to the top . . . anyone have advice?

s.fowler

While I am not typing with the schedules in front of me, my sense is that the orchestra/theatre/opera seasons end by the middle of June or so. There may be summer festivals etc... ,but they often feature artists from elsewhere, and there are always the music performances held in historic sites aimed at tourists, but often very good indeed. <BR> <BR>

Ben Haines

<BR>Dear Mr Blais <BR> <BR>The trouble is your dates. I'm sure all main halls are closed in your cities in August, and think they are closed in July too. Sorry. But you could find out now by setting your search engine to look up each of the halls. <BR> <BR>Schauspielhaus Berlin <BR>Municipal House or Obecni dom, Prague <BR>Rudolfinum Prague <BR>Musikverein, Vienna <BR>The Slovenska filharmonia at the Reduta Palace in Bratislava <BR> <BR>If these are all closed, there are ways out. First, the Salzburg Festival, Avignon Festival, and Edinburgh Festival will be in session, with some fine orchestras. In a couple of months each will have a web site. Or you could write now to each city tourist office to ask them to send you the programmes when they are ready. Second, all over central Europe they take advantage of warm weather to place concerts in country houses and castles that are too big and cold to heat in winter. To find these places is not easy. I happen to know of recitals in Eisenstadt, south of Vienna, and in the sun-soaked Esterhazy summer palace near Sopron. Both are for Haydn buffs, of course. Dvorak was born in the village of Nelahozeves north of Prague, and they hold recitals of his work in the castle there. You are actually on the Vltava, and the sound of the water and of the Ma Vlast music mingle in your mind. Then around Berlin they put on recitals in various great houses, often with a touch of Johan Sebastian Bach. For Vienna, apart from Eisenstadt, the place for this sort of music is the Wachau, which is the Danube valley in Lower Austria. The abbey at Melk is magnificent, and I think is site for a few summer recitals. You can reach all thse country places by train and sometimes bus from the nearby great cities: no need to hire a car. <BR> <BR>Perhaps your best next move is to write to the tourist information office of each of your four cities (the post s will deliver, without a correct address) to ask for a calendar of summer concerts and recitals in nearby country houses, castles, and great churches. <BR> <BR>For major concerts at festivals you must prebook, and for recitals and concerts in summer palaces and places you probably need to book, since their music salons are often only moderate sized. <BR> <BR>May I warn against any musical event given in period costume or in candle light ? These exist in summer in London, Vienna, Prague and no doubt elsewhere, and are simply job lots of unemployed musicians gathered together by some entrepreneur to make a profit. Often they play the same music several times a week for a month on end: no wonder they are bored, and boring. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. You are going to have a good time, though in palaces rather than in concert halls. Now if you'd like to come to London, we offer great music nightly in August in the Royal Albert Hall at the Proms, with deeply attentive young audiences, plus a range of recitals and chamber concerts in great country houses of the National Trust. Welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR> <BR> <BR>

bea

do you know of any special performances this september in prague or vienna? <BR>how do you get good seats?

Lisa

I don't know of any special performances,but we did get tickets to the Prague Philharmonic on the day of the performance. We were told it was sold out, but miraculously, ticket sales reopen at 10am on the day of the performance. Their web site suggested formal dress, but the Czech must use the word formal differently than in the U.S. People were nicely dressed, not formally. The music and atmosphere were great.

Lisa

In my previous reply I referred to the Prague Philharmonic. I should have said the Czech Philharmonic, which plays at the Rudolphinium in Prague. have you considered seeing an opera performed by puppets? They certainly are not Pavarotti, but it is an evening of great fun and humor.

topper

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