![]() ![]() ![]() In seventeenth-century Italy, the birthplace of the form, lavish entertainments featuring fireworks and sensational effects as well as instrumental music, singing, dances, and speeches were staged to celebrate princely weddings or to welcome regal guests. In its origins, opera, like every other type of spectacle, expressed noble prerogatives and was staged in courtly settings. A feature unique to opera, however, is the power of music, particularly that written for the several registers of the human singing voice, which is arguably the artistic means best suited to the expression of emotion and the portrayal of character. Developments in architecture and painting have manifested themselves on the operatic stage in the design of sets and costumes for specific performances, and opera has also affected the visual arts beyond the stage in such domains as the design and decoration of opera houses and the portraiture of singers and composers. Throughout its history, opera has reflected trends current in the several arts of which it is composed. Music and drama are the fundamental ingredients, as are the arts of staging and costume design opera is therefore a visual as well as an audible art. Highly Recommended.Opera, whose name comes from the Italian word for a work, realizes the Baroque ambition of integrating all the arts. We have not seen this anywhere else in Vienna, or in Austria generally. The use of the Tyrolean cheese in both pumpkin dishes was creatively delicious and distinctive. I don't recall the price of the pumpkin soup but we both had great big plates of it and thought it very reasonable. ![]() Prices were refreshingly modest: €18 for the shared (very filling) risotto, and something like €25-30 for the excellent wine. We could not have been happier with the place, the food and drink, and the people here at Restaurant Schubert. We relied on Klaus to make a recommendation and were delighted with a superb Zweigelt from Judith Beck to go with two seasonal favorites: pumpkin cream soup, here deliciously served with slightly pan-fried dollops of Tyrolean goat cheese rolled in savory herbs and a delectable pumpkin risotto, also with a large topping of cheese, to share. ![]() The selection of wines in the establishment's cellar (it is a "vinothek") is excellent. The food is very fresh, well-prepared, and beautifully presented. You might think of the Schubert as a gateway, one that happens to have wonderful food and wine served up graciously under the watchful eye of Klaus, its personable manager, in a deeply historical part of Vienna. Or you can go straight ahead, avoiding twists and turns, and you'll find yourself on an ancient bastion overlooking the university from a house where Beethoven composed four symphonies and the opera "Fidelio." This is a neighborhood redolent of the city's remarkable past, and the Restaurant Schubert is the first thing to greet you as you enter it. The narrow cobblestone streets wind uphill past very old buildings and eventually to a steep staircase that descends to busy Schottentgasse near the Schottentor tram stop. This is one of the prettiest, out-of-the-way spots in Vienna. ![]()
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