Vienna Opera Ball

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Vienna Opera House
The actress Mira Sorvino at the opera ball (2013)

The Vienna Opera Ball (

ball is one of the highlights of the Viennese carnival season
.

History

The tradition of the ball goes back to 1814 during the time when the crowned heads of Europe and the aristocracy searched for entertainment after the

Napoleonic wars. The first ball in the opera house took place in 1877 as a soirée. The following balls were redoute, a French term for masquerade balls
or costume parties, where the ladies wore their masks until midnight. From 1878 until 1899, such redoute balls took place around two to three times a year.

The first redoute after World War I took place in 1921, with proceeds going to the pension fund of the two state theaters. These events were called also called Opernredoute.

The first ball to be named "Opera Ball" was held in 1935 under the honorary patronage of the

Federal Chancellor, but was suspended during World War II. It was revived after the war; it has been held annually ever since, with the exception of 1991, when it was cancelled due to the Persian Gulf War, and 2021 and 2022, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic
. Since 2008, Desirée Treichl-Stürgkh has been the chairman (supervising organizer) of the Vienna Opera Ball. It is the highlight of the season, with the heads of state and government, the political and industrial elite, members of the high society, and their guests attending. The price for the entry tickets is the highest of all the Viennese balls.

Starting in 1987, the Opernballdemo, a

Ringstraße against the kind of capitalism
represented by, as the protesters see it, many of the elite attending the ball, has regularly taken place on the same night. There have been occasional outbreaks of violence. This has almost disappeared since 2011, with protests focusing on the nationalist Akademikerball instead.

In February 2020 the first same-sex couple were presented as debutante and escort at the ball.

non-binary, wore the traditional black suit and tailcoats typical for male escorts.[3]

Organization

Opera singer Margarita Gritskova singing an aria during the opening ceremony (2014)
Debutantes' entry during the opening of the ball (2014)

Each year, almost overnight, the

stalls, and a new floor, level with the stage
, is built.

The dress code is evening dress: white tie and tails for men; strictly floor-length gowns for women. White

opera gloves are still mandatory for female debutantes at the Vienna Opera Ball.[4]

The ball does not start until around 10 pm when the

Viennese Waltz by Johann Strauss II
, after which the floor is opened to all guests.

The ball runs until 5 am. The opera house offers all access to the guests, with various other rooms and lounges open with different types of music and dance. There is catering on all floors offered by Café Gerstner, as well as a hairdresser, an in-house tailor, and medical teams on standby. Among the many sponsors are Austrian oil and gas company OMV, and Casinos Austria who offers roulette.[5]

Various dances moderated by the master of ceremony take place every two hours, such as the popular cotillion. Although not officially allowed, towards the end the tradition is for the guests to take apart the flower decoration on the balcony and shower the remaining dancers with it on the main floor, or take it home.

In a joint venture, ORF and BR broadcast live from the ball for several hours each year.

In media

In

made-for-TV movie by Urs Egger
with the same title.

The ball was featured in the postcard for San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. In it, San Marinese participants Michele Perniola and Anita Simoncini attend an evening at the ball.

Outside of Austria

"Viennese balls" outside of Austria are held in Paris, New York, Moscow, Stockholm, Dubai, Timișoara, etc.

See also

References

  1. ^ Wakefield, Lily (5 February 2020). "The first openly queer couple in 200 years has been accepted to dance at the Vienna Opera Ball". PinkNews.
  2. ^ Spranklen, Annabelle (5 February 2020). "The first same-sex couple will dance at this year's Vienna Opera Ball". Tatler.
  3. ^ Oltermann, Philip (4 February 2020). "'We just want to dance together,' say Vienna ball's first same-sex couple". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ "Make Your Debut At The Vienna Opera Ball-Dresscode". Vienna State Opera. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  5. ^ Stanton, Elizabeth (17 February 2023). "Jane Fonda attends opera with tycoon after admitting he 'offered to pay me quite a bit of money'". Fox News.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vienna Opera Ball.
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