Get on a plane and fly away for one evening to Paris or St. Petersburg — to an opera or a concert of your favorite group. Why not? Music tourism is becoming a popular form of recreation and an effective way to relieve everyday stress.
“This is the first of January I will not forget! — exclaims 33-year-old Olga. – My husband and I sat in the Golden Hall of the Society of Music Lovers, listened to the New Year’s concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and were absolutely happy! True, tickets were booked a year in advance. In the spring, 29-year-old Nikolai went to the Paris Opera to see Verdi’s Macbeth staged by Dmitry Chernyakov, and in March he is going to see his premiere of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites in Munich. He admits that such outings help him survive in the bustle of the capital: “In two or three days, I completely switch off, I have a real rest.” “Music is a holiday in itself, and a change of scenery enhances this feeling, charges with vivid emotions,” says psychotherapist Svetlana Mardoyan. And the live impression of the concert cannot be compared with a television broadcast. “The videos show the artists in close-up, which is convenient, but incomparable to the sensations in the theater,” says music critic Alexei Parin. “The atmosphere, the audience, the volumetric perception of the evening, and the previous road – everything makes the experience of the moment as complete as possible.” Organizing a trip is easy if you plan everything in advance. “Long before the performance, I find an airline’s special offer on the Internet, I reserve a hotel,” says Nikolai. “Many concert dates are known a year in advance, and tickets are usually cheaper than for the same artist in Moscow, I also book them online.” “Events that we arrange for ourselves personally acquire special significance for us,” explains Svetlana Mardoyan. “This is how we treat ourselves well, and this sense of self-worth helps us live with taste and treat those around us better.”
By the way
To get to the New Year’s concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (December 30-31 and January 1 of each year), you need to leave an application on the website from January 3 to 23 , after which tickets (from 30 to 940 euros) are distributed by lot.