In Vienna, they queue round the block… for the opera brochure

In Vienna, they queue round the block… for the opera brochure

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norman lebrecht

April 06, 2016

Minutes after the new season announcement, this was the box-office queue in Vienna today.

Not for opera tickets.

For the chance to buy a new-season brochure (price: 6 €).

Wien, du allein…

vienna queue

 

Comments

  • Stefan Treddel says:

    Wien, Wien, nur du allein… That’s how the song goes!

    • Jaybuyer says:

      Stefan, you’re getting very picky

    • Sue says:

      I lived in Vienna for 12 months in 2011 and I can testify to how valued tickets and subscriptions (Abonnements) are for serious music in that wonderful city. I often had to beg, borrow or steal to get a seat at the very back of the Musikverein to the VPO, if the concert wasn’t actually under the aegis of the Musikverein itself.

      • Stefan Treddel says:

        These people are not waiting in line for the brochure only but to order tickets! See the post of the Wiener Staatsoper on Facebook: Impression vom heutigen späten Vormittag: Eine lange Schlange geduldiger Opernfans wartet vor der Kassenhalle auf den Bestellstart für die Saison 2016/2017. Das ist Wien!

  • Halldor says:

    In the UK, the annual Proms programme goes on sale through high street bookstores and usually tops the paperback non-fiction bestsellers chart. Seems a slightly more efficient way of organising it.

  • Una says:

    Looks like a queue for Betty’s in Harrogate!!!

  • Pedro says:

    When I was young, one of the best record shops in the world used to be there, on the left (Da Caruso ) and it seems that internet is not very much used in Vienna.

  • Marg says:

    How fantastic there is such interest. We certainly dont see anyone queuing at the Sydney Opera House!

    • CDH says:

      In Canada we don’t have to queue. And the season brochures — usually very high-gloss productions — are free. As are concert programmes.

      • Sue says:

        Do you think there’s possibly a relationship between queuing and very substantial demand? I’ve bought tickets in Vienna online and it’s not the best way to go; the sites often go down due to demand and you cannot get the seats you want anyway. Always better to talk to somebody.

  • John Borstlap says:

    It should not be forgotten that physical queueing is psychologically related to physically attending a physical performance, in contrast to sitting at home and exploring your CD collection. Queueing, getting tired and irritated, then getting into a real shop and buying a physical brochure and tickets over a real counter and discussing the seats with a person of flesh and blood, is an excellent preparation for the Real Thing, especially in Vienna were most things are Real, a commodity which is becoming rare in the modern world.

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