Haus der Musik - Oscillate Between History and Musical History and Interactive Experiences May 26 2023
The Haus der Musik, or "House of Music," is a museum in Vienna, Austria, dedicated to the history and appreciation of music. Located in the center of the city, the museum offers a variety of interactive exhibits, concerts, and educational programs for visitors of all ages. The self-proclaimed "musical adventure trip" includes exhibits that highlight some of the city's greatest composers, as well as a broader examination of the concept of sound.
The unique and high-tech interactive experiences at the Haus der Musik make this museum an exceptional place for aficionados of classical music and young children. Let's take a look at all the special activities and displays they offer, based on the four floors available!
THE FIRST FLOOR - RICH HISTORY OF THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC
Like many of the other Wien Museums, The Haus der Musik is located inside the former home of an influential composer. Otto Nicolai once lived in the apartment where the museum is now located, in the former Palais of Archduke Charles.
Nicolai was the founder, composer, and conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, one of the most renowned orchestras in the world, known for its unique sound and rich history. Founded in 1842, the orchestra still performs a wide range of music, including classical, romantic, and modern pieces to this day.
The orchestra's membership is composed of professional musicians from Vienna and the surrounding area who go through a lengthy and elite selection process. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is also notable for its long-standing tradition of giving an annual concert in Vienna's Musikverein on New Year's Eve, which is broadcast to millions of people around the world.
While still in operation today, the orchestra's history goes back to the mid-nineteenth century. The museum showcases the orchestra's scientific documentation as it was founded and continued to expand over the years.
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC INTERACTIVES
The first floor already captivates visitors with its interactive experiences revolving around the Vienna Philharmonic. The institution is home to a concert hall with the highest audio-visual quality that plays the world-famous annual concerts by the orchestra - the Viennese New Year's Concert and the Schönbrunn Summer Night Concert. The best moments of these concerts are captured and replayed for visitors to feel like they're truly living the real thing.
You'll also find a thrilling waltz-dice game on the first floor. In this unique interactive experience, visitors compose their own waltz through a series of dice rolls. Dice games inspired some of the greats like Mozart and Haydn, and now museum guests can create their own and see what their waltz score is on the big screen.
THE SECOND FLOOR - THE CONCEPT OF SOUND
Up just one floor, the museum switches from historical to scientific. Here, visitors will learn about the origin, psychical properties, and human perception of sound. From learning about Kundt's tube experiment to understanding how animals hear sound differently, this floor explains everything you never knew to ask about sound phenomena.
SONOTOPIA INTERACTIVES
Like most scientific topics, humans learn best through activities and experiments, and the second floor has plenty of interactive experiences that act as both. First, the institution offers sound experimentation through oversized instruments, which allows visitors to experience how sound is created.
To get creative juices flowing even more freely, the Sonotopia Lab and Universe is a virtual reality concept based around "Clongs" - floating, colorful sound beings. Visitors can head to the lab to create their own sound creature by choosing various qualities. Once you've crafted your own "Clong" you can release them into the Sonotopia Universe for other visitors to experience as well.
While kids will love the Sonotopia Lab and Universe, there is an extra special exhibit just for children. The Zoo Concert is another hands-on experience where kids can sing, dance, and clap to the musical adventure filled with zoo animals.
THE THIRD FLOOR - VIENNA'S GREATEST
The museum also has a number of exhibits dedicated to specific composers and musicians, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. These exhibits feature original manuscripts, letters, and other artifacts from the musicians' lives, as well as interactive displays that allow visitors to learn more about their music and careers. Visitors can also expect to see films, costumes, and databases for the ultimate "edutainment" experience.
Other Vienna greats like Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss II, Gustav Mahler, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern also have displays about their lives and works. The Haus der Musik is the perfect place to get a taste of Vienna's rich musical history.
THE GREAT COMPOSERS INTERACTIVES
This floor captivates visitors with the floor-wide sound carpet project, a media project by artist Johannes Deutsch. In addition, there is a computer program that will turn visitors' names into original Mozart interpretations.
THE FOURTH FLOOR - BECOME A CONDUCTOR
One of the most unique features of the Haus der Musik is its "Virtual Conducting" exhibit, which allows visitors to conduct a virtual orchestra using hand gestures. This exhibit uses motion-sensing technology to interpret the visitor's movements and translate them into corresponding musical directions for the virtual orchestra.
ADD THE HAUS DER MUSIK TO YOUR VIENNA ITINERARY
If you’re the only classic music lover in your family, you don’t have to worry about dragging them to this museum. While it’s loaded with fascinating artifacts, historical documents, and educational material on the history of some of Vienna’s most influential composers, the highly-interactive nature of this museum will captivate every visitor who walks through its doors.
[See more photographs of the Haus der Musik at the very bottom of this article]
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