Vienna State Opera

After a full day of seeing the sites around town, listening to conference presentations and even trying to fit in a little bit of work, a couple of us decided to go to the opera. The Vienna State Opera is the oldest theatrical institution in the German-speaking world, dating back to the beginning of the eighteenth century. The building itself is absolutely incredible. I'm just realizing that I don't have any pictures of its exterior, but the inside is elegant and magnificent!
The inside of the actual theatre is even more beautiful.
My seat was fantastic. I was in one of the little boxes on the third floor (if you count the ground as the first) just far enough around the theatre that I could see the whole stage and wasn't staring back into the wings, but still close enough that I had a great view of the orchestra. The boxes were so neat. (Please note that I'd never been to an opera, so I have no idea what's standard.) I loved the little velvet doors into each box and the area just inside to hang coats and primp.
The show itself - The Barber of Seville - was incredible!