Etiquette
What to wear and when to clap
Dress, timing, phones and applause at a classical concert in Vienna, with what the booking page says and what general guides to concert etiquette add.
Check the concert dates ↗Quick answer
The booking page gives no dress code, and a general guide to concert etiquette calls smart casual the usual standard in English-speaking countries. Sit down before the first note, switch your devices off and clap when a piece ends, not between its movements. Watch the conductor for the cue, and relax once you know the few rules.
What to wear
The booking page for the House of Strauss concert does not set a dress code. Wikipedia's article on concert etiquette describes dress for audiences as fairly informal today in English-speaking countries, generally smart casual, with more formal dress at special events or in traditional venues. It adds that concertgoers are expected to dress more formally in some countries than in others. A smart-casual outfit and a layer you can keep on is a safe plan.
Arriving and sitting
Wikipedia says people try to be in their seats before the first note, and that anyone who arrives late is held back until a pause between pieces lets an usher seat them. For this concert the booking page says doors open 90 minutes before and that guests should arrive early, and seats are reserved. The generous window is there for the museum and the sparkling wine, so use it, and be in your seat when the lights change.
Silence and devices
At classical concerts, Wikipedia says, the cardinal principle is to let others listen undisturbed. Instruments and voices are typically unamplified and the music includes passages played very softly, so the normal standard is to be entirely silent while the music plays. Seasoned concertgoers avoid conversation, try to suppress coughs and sneezes and turn electronic devices off. The booking page describes a light show and subtitles, so look at the screen in the room, not at your phone.
When to clap
Wikipedia's article on applause says that classical audiences customarily clap when the performers come on and when each piece finishes, and that the conductor usually turns to face the room when it is time. It adds that clapping between movements is frowned on, and the whole work gets its applause at the very end. The Strauss family wrote mostly short dance pieces, so the end of each piece is the usual moment. If you are unsure, wait for the conductor to turn, or for the people around you. Cheering is fine during a standing ovation, Wikipedia says, though yelling and jumping are discouraged.
The Radetzky tradition
There is one place where the rules relax. Wikipedia says the final encore at the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert is Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March, during which the audience claps along under the conductor's direction, a custom that began in 1958. Whether a march is played at your concert is not something the booking page promises. If the orchestra invites the room to clap, follow the conductor, and stop when the music does. The first encore at that concert is often a fast polka, according to Wikipedia, so a lively ending is part of the family's tradition.
How audiences used to behave
Concert manners have changed. Wikipedia says that late eighteenth-century composers such as Mozart expected people to talk, and took delight in audiences clapping in response to a nice musical effect, and that individual movements were encored in response to applause. The nineteenth century moved concerts from aristocratic gatherings to public halls. The Strauss family wrote for dancing, and the room they played in was a social venue, not a church, which is why a warm response to the music is natural.
Comfort
A summary of recent reviews on the booking page says some travellers would like more comfortable seating, such as cushions, and one reviewer calls the VIP seats cushioned and worth it. The seats are bentwood chairs, which the booking page calls historic. The concert lasts about 75 minutes, and the museum is open before and after. Wear shoes you can walk in around the exhibition, and bring a layer in case the hall is cool.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a dress code?
The booking page gives none. Smart casual is the usual standard in English-speaking countries, according to Wikipedia's article on concert etiquette.
When should I applaud?
When a piece finishes, not between its movements; the conductor turning to the room is the signal.
Can I take photos?
The booking page gives no photography rule, so check with the staff at the door and keep your phone away while the music plays.
Sources