Opening performance in the new Court Opera of *Don Juan*, view of the interior looking towards the stage, 25 May 1869, contemporary watercolour

Vienna – The Court Opera

25. May 1869

Over the centuries, several different buildings and rooms in the Vienna Hofburg served as ballrooms and venues for festivities and performances of theatre and opera. In 1869 the Court Opera on the Ringstrasse was opened; lacking a plinth, its architecture was controversial, but its superb acoustics were soon appreciated. It quickly achieved the status of a major venue and became the home of the world-famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Opening performance in the new Court Opera of *Don Juan*, view of the interior looking towards the stage, 25 May 1869, contemporary watercolour