Vienna's House of Music takes you on an enthralling journey through the world of sound and music
Fun & 'Edutainment'
Millions of tourists visit the Austrian capital every year on the strength of its reputation as a city of music. But if they want tickets for the State Opera or the Vienna Philharmonic or a concert in the Musikverein, they frequently have to stand in line, and then they can't be at all sure of getting in. Now, the recently-opened House of Music guarantees admission, even to those who are on an extremely tight schedule. What's more, the House of Music offers fun and "edutainment" that can be enjoyed by every member of the family, no matter the age. It is, in short, a place for discovering the world of music in a manner which emphasizes the playful and joyful sides of musical pleasure.
The House of Music is located in a historic house on Seilerstätte, right next to Kärntnerstrasse, Vienna's prestigious shopping street. In this very building, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by Otto Nicolai (1810-1849).
A Quick Tour of the House of Music
The first floor is devoted entirely to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which has its historic roots in this building. The second floor marks the beginning of a journey through a bewildering variety of sound worlds, from pre-natal white noise and the inside of an organ pipe to the sound of the Tokyo underground railway system. The third floor belongs to the composers of the Viennese classical period. It combines extraordinarily vivid acoustics with a wealth of information. The fourth floor harbors a succession of aural delights and surprises in the form of the "hyper-instruments." The most memorable of these is the Mind Forest, in which the visitor can create music through action. Finally, the fifth floor houses the Divertimento concert hall and a great restaurant, where you can enjoy a unique view over the roofs of the old city and towards St. Stephen's cathedral.
The real tour can last well over three hours, so take your time. Guided tours can be arranged; check with the House of Music management or with a Vienna Guide of your choice. Tours in Japanese: wien-jp.com.
The Virtual House of Music (
English) (
Japanese) (
German)
The multi-lingual website of the House of Music was launched on March 11, 2000. It is certainly not a mere coincidence that it was on March 11, 1791, when Joseph Haydn's "Miracle" (Symphony No. 96 in D major, Hob. I/96) was played for the first time.
This website is in fact a foretaste of what awaits visitors to the real House of Music. The site is also an invitation to communicate by the means of music: surfers can compose their own music on a "Web Piano" and send personalized musical greetings to friends via e-mail.
Boston Meets Vienna: The Brain Opera
Imagine that everyone can create his own music! No miracle with the "Brain Opera," which is in fact a box of technological tricks developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The House of Music has an exclusive contract with MIT to ensure that every innovation from Boston in the field of musical technology can be put on display in Vienna.
Talents Sought: The Virtual Conductor
Would you like to take up the baton yourself and conduct—no lesser an ensemble than the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra? Here is your chance!
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Zubin Mehta, Honorary President of the House of Music,
and Stefan Seigner, its founder father
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Music Man
Vienna's House of Music is the brainchild of Stefan Seigner, a man who unites an incredible management capacity (in the course of his career, he has successfully managed or co-managed 42 companies) with a deep love of music. As a matter of fact, music—most notably that of the Viennese Classics—once virtually saved his life. "I was seriously ill, and music helped me to recover. I would have died without music as a lifeline." This experience has become part of the philosophy behind the running of his House of Music.
Setting up the House of Music cost approximately $50 million. Seigner succeeded in enlisting Siemens and a local insurance company to put up the money. Due to his background in managing ventures of similar financial scope, he was able to put the proposition to them not so much as sponsorship as an "investment." Already in its first year of existence, the House of Music has proven that it has all the ingredients needed to become a successful business: there are days when it sells well over a thousand tickets.
Taking up the tradition of Vienna's schools of medicine and psychology, Seigner has been developing plans for a more in-depth exploration of the subject of music therapy and the role his brainchild could play in this field. He sees his House of Music not as a museum but far more as a counselling facility and instigator of innovation.
Additional links: "Adventures in Music"—an article by Marcy Mason published in the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 22, 2000
Renate Mrus, who has volunteered to write for Vienna Online on a regular basis, is a legal practitioner from Vienna, Austria, and devotes much of her spare time on writing articles about new discoveries in her hometown in English, German, Spanish, and Japanese. She is also in charge of the
Vienna Guides and
Salzburg Guides homepages, both located in the GeoCities community.
