Standing in the Stehparterre at the Musikverein

The Musikverein's Goldener Saal is regularly voted the finest concert hall acoustics in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic has called it home since 1870. The gilt caryatids, the ornate ceiling, the raked parquet floor — every detail was designed to produce the particular warmth and clarity that makes a live Brahms symphony here feel like something your body needs rather than merely wants. You can book an expensive seat weeks in advance, or you can buy a Stehparterre standing ticket for six euros on the day of the concert.

The standing area runs along the back and sides of the orchestra level, behind the seated rows. You will stand for two hours. By the end, your feet will ache and you will not care at all. The acoustic position is excellent — in some ways better than many of the cheaper seats, and the Viennese regulars who claim their usual standing spots each season will show you by wordless example how to listen with absolute attention. This is not background music. This is an event.

Vienna takes its music with a seriousness that can feel intimidating from the outside but is actually an invitation. The city has maintained a tradition of affordable access to world-class performance precisely because music is considered part of civic life, not a luxury. Arrive at the box office an hour before the performance. Be patient. The queue moves. Your six euros will buy you something money cannot usually purchase.