The Golden Hall is famed for its superb acoustics. I thought the sound was even better this year with no audience to soak it up. I look forward to the audience returning next time. I did apply for tickets one year, unsuccessfully. They are distributed by ballot only and they cost a fortune. You have to apply very early in January for the next year. I think it was about €200 each for the worst seats in the house, rising to over €1000 if I remember correctly. I heard that they get around 30 times more applications than there are seats. It all looks a bit stuffy, but it would be quite an experience to combine that with a city break in Vienna, a city which has long been on my bucket list. I'm still saving up.