Yesterday, everyone had the opportunity to attend the opera Falstaff at the Staatsoper. The opera composed by Verdi follows an old, fat knight named Falstaff as he tries to make two rich, married women fall for him. However, the women figure out his plan and decide to prank him. The comedic opera had everyone laughing. There were wonderful singers and costumes on stage. 

It was amazing to see the set changes which clearly demonstrated the massive falling curtains and rotating floors that we had learned about on the opera house tour. The sets featured the interior of Falstaff’s home, palaces and a forest (There was even a set change in which a trap door opened and a tree appeared to grow through it).

It was easy to catch onto the jokes as the subtitles were displayed directly in front of our seats in whatever language we chose. In addition, it was fascinating to watch the musicians in the orchestra pit. I had a great view of almost all the musicians and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the precision of the string section and the timpanist’s dramatic and unique technique. The musicians were absolutely incredible. 

Also, for many of us that have been getting used to standing room at the concerts, it was a relief to have a seat to actually sit in. 

Today, we had our last rehearsal in our usual rehearsal venue— Haus der Begegnung. All of the pieces have come together nicely and the orchestra is very excited to perform. After transporting all the instruments back to the hotel, we had a lot of free time to continue exploring the city. 

Students have been taking advantage of a lot of unique opportunities including, an illusion museum, a transportation museum, Prater Amusement Park (which includes a historic Ferris wheel), the Hofburg Palace Museums (Here there are tons of museums. There are museums of historical instruments, armour, and Imperial jewelry), the Spanish Riding School, the Belvedere Palace and various masses in beautiful venues. 

Tomorrow, we head to Bratislava for our first performance.  We look forward to sharing our hard work with an audience and the chance to play in a wonderful hall.

-Briana