Article: Opera an adventure in extended applause; If you go Vienna Opera: Standing room only tickets go on sale three hours before the performance. Get in line early at the entrance on the west side of the Opera House. You can call for advance tickets (much more expensive) three weeks before the performance. For information: Austrian National Tourist Office, 500 5th Ave., Suite 2009-22, New York, NY 10110 or call (212) 944-6880. Embassy of Austria, 3524 International Court NW, Washington, D.C. 20008-3035. Background reading: "Who's Afraid of Opera?: A Highly Opinionated, Informative, and Entertaining Guide to Appreciating Opera." Walsh, Michael. Simon & Schuster, 1994. "The International Opera Guide." Stockdale, F.M., Dreyer, M.R. Trafalgar Square Publishing, 1990. "Complete Preparation: A Guide to Auditioning for Opera." Dornemann, Joann. Excalibur Publishing, 1992. "Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera." Foreword by Placido Domingo. Plotkin, Fred. Hyperion, 1994. "When the Fat Lady Sings: Opera History As It Ought to be Taught." Barber, David W. Sound and Vision, 1990. "The Ultimate Art: Essays Around and About Opera." Littlejohn, David. University of California Press 1992. Guidebooks: "Vienna." Honan, Mark. Lonely Planet Publications 1995. "The Music Lover's Guide to Europe: A Compendium of Festivals, Concerts and Opera." Gottesman, Roberta, editor. J. Wiley & Sons, 1992.

Normally, I wouldn't go near an opera. It's not that I hate the music. I don't. In fact, I find it relaxing. The problem is, I have a hard time relaxing knowing I had to cough up $60 for my ticket. For that price if relaxation is the aim I could get a professional massage.

Only once did I find an opera ticket price I could relate to, and surprisingly, it was in Vienna at the State Opera House (Staatsoper). It sounded too good to be true; I thought I had miscalculated the exchange rate. I checked again, then bought a ticket to see an opera in the world's most famous opera house for a little over $4. Entrance into Mozart's stomping ground for the price of a chicken chimichanga and a ...

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