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Entrances and Exits

When stepping into the building one is immediately surrounded by history. Memorial plaques in the foyer recall influential personalities from the history of the Musikverein - Josef Sonnleithner, the driving force behind the foundation, Archduke Rudolf, the first patron, Archduke Eugene, who later succeeded him in this position.

The names of donors to the society are also inscribed here - a distinguished collection which continues from the 19th century up to the present. It is an eloquent statement of how much private donations have meant to the Musikverein from the beginning.

One of the plaques is dedicated to the architect and Hansen pupil, Ludwig Richter, who, in 1911, supervised the most extensive rebuilding in the history of the Musikverein building. Four decades after the opening some urgent changes were necessary. The symphonic sound tapestry of Gustav Mahler had made the enlargement of the stage necessary.

The caryatids, which had until then been placed further forward under the boxes, were moved back in order to provide an unobstructed view of the stage. The creation of new entrances and exits was particularly necessary. The Musikverein also put into practice the lessons learned from the Ring Theatre fire of 1881.

This disaster made it eminently clear that halls which had no exits at the sides were a safety risk. The old Großer Musikvereinssaal was a hall of this type. Hansen had only provided a single entrance and exit at the back of the hall in the region of the present standing space. This aesthetically appealing design had to be reappraised.

The main staircases were moved from the front into the middle part of the building and the rebuilt staircases at the front of the building opened up separate accesses to the balconies of both concert halls. The foyer was thereby enlarged, making space for cloakrooms.

During the course of a comprehensive general renovation of the building (1984-1987) an additional buffet was added. This was also in response to changes in concert life over the years. As the Musikverein building was erected, today’s normal concert interval was not yet in existence. People either listened to the whole concert or only to certain pieces of music. There was no need for space to accommodate the interval crowd.

During the rebuilding of 1911 four statues of distinguished musicians changed their places. Bach, Gluck, Mozart and Weber, sculpted by Vinczenz Pilz, were moved from the front of the Musikverein building to the inner foyer. Busts of Brahms, Wagner and Schubert came to keep them company while Clara Schumann (portrayed Friedrich Christoph Hausmann, 1896) and Franz Liszt (by Caspar Zumbusch, 1867) took up residence on the stairways.

The side entrance houses the Beethoven sculpture made by Anton Dietrich in 1921. Leonard Bernstein was fond of showing his reverence. On his way to the golden hall he never liked to miss an opportunity to give Beethoven a hug.