Arts & Culture
Music and Austria have been intertwined for centuries. Vienna is the birthplace of the waltz, and Salzburg is Mozart's ancestral home. Austria's musical contributions to the world include the vast repertoires of Schubert, Strauss, Haydn, and Wagner, to name only a few.Today the country hosts many musical festivals, from the renowned Salzburg Festival to countless music weekends held in small villages at the height of summer. Now in its 76th year, the Salzburg Festival runs from late July to the end of August and celebrates Mozart, Strauss, and Verdi, among others. The festival brings together a splendid array of concerts, instrumental recitals, Mozart matinees, serenades, ballets, and religious music. Virtuosi, duets, and chamber music groups perform in the numerous halls and salons nearby, often with several events happening at once. But you won't get into the top concerts or operas without confirmed reservations made well in advance—and tickets for headline events sell out as much as a year ahead. Plan ahead, too, to attend the Easter or Whitsun festivals.
For comprehensive information on the festival, write directly to the box office: Salzburg Festival, P. O. Box 140, A-5010, Salzburg, Austria (Tel. 0662-8045). In the U.S. you can book tickets from Daily-Thorpe, 330 West 58th St., New York, NY 10019 (Tel. 212-307-1555). Another option to consider is International Curtain Calls, 3313 Patricia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064 (Tel. 800-669-9070). Don't forget that during festival time lodging in Salzburg is at a premium—if you can't get hotel reservations, you might find room in the surrounding suburbs. Or try writing to the Salzburg tourist information office (Mozartplatz 5, Salzburg, Austria, Tel. 0662-846568) to find accommodations with a local family.
Vienna hosts its own festival from mid-May to June, while Bregenz has a July Festival that features performances on a gigantic floating stage on Lake Constance. Graz comes into its own during the Styrian autumn with a somewhat avant-garde arts festival, while the area around Feldkirch honors Schubert with both spring and autumn festivals that draw famous performers from all across Europe. For information, consult the BAD LINKAustrian National Tourist Office, P. O. Box 1142, New York, NY 10108-1142 (Tel. 212-944-6880) or, in Los Angeles, P. O. Box 491938, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (Tel. 310-447-3332).