Austria – A Rich Musical Tradition
While many people do not think of Austria when they think of classical music and world-renown composers, many of history’s most noted composers and classical musicians came from this wonderfully
talented country. Austria’s past as a major European power and the rich cultural environment have helped to generate an awesome contribution to so many different forms of art, especially music. Austria is the birthplace of many of the most famous composers in history, including: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss Sr and Jr, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg.
Vienna itself has been a very important center of musical innovation throughout it’s history. In the 18th and 19th centuries, composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the Habsburgs of Switzerland. This made Vienna the capital of classical music for Europe. In the Baroque peroid, many wonderful Slavic and Hungarian folk musical traditions and forms helped to influence Austrian music. It is because of the many different influences on music that Austria holds that Vienna began it’s rise as the cultural center for music in the 1500’s. Because of this status, Vienna’s musical traditions focused around instruments including the lute. Even other famous composers that were not from Austria, such as Ludwig van Beethoven, spent much of their lives in Vienna.
Austria’s national anthem was originally by Joseph Haydn, but was replaced after World War II. The new anthem was originally attributed to Mozart, but was probably not composed by the man himself. In more modern musical times, Austria has produced many other musicians who made their marks on the musical scene. One noted jazz musician, Josef Zawinul, helped to pioneer in electronic influences in jazz and was a noted composer as well. Falco was also a noted composer and an internationall acclaimed rock musician.
Due to the wonderful musical background that Austria has, there are many wonderful performances of the classical composer’s music all the time. There are many wonderful opera houses and music halls where you can always catch a musical performance while you vacation in Austria, and you can even find wonderful vacation rentals in Vienna that are within walking distance to some of the most famous musical places in the country. Make sure that you book early if you long to stay near some of the main music houses as they go quick in the vacation seasons.
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