The New Year Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) is a concert of classical music which takes place each year in the morning of January 1 at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It is broadcast around the world to an estimated audience of one billion in 50 countries.
"Originating during a dark period of Austria's history, these concerts were initially conceived for a local audience as a reminder of better times and a source of hope for the future. Today millions of people throughout the world are similarly encouraged by the light-hearted yet subtly profound character of this music, and draw joy and optimism for the New Year ahead".
The music always includes pieces from the Strauss family (Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II, Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss), with occasional additional pieces from contemporary composers.
The audience in the concert hall will only see the orchestra, but during two pieces of the program, the TV shows a pre-recorded (sometimes live) performance of ballet dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet. Filmed on a scenic location, usually the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
The concert always ends with two encores after the main program. The first encore is Johann Strauss II's "An der schönen, blauen Donau" (Blue Danube Waltz). The introduction to the waltz is always interrupted by applause of recognition from the audience. The musicians then collectively wish the audience a happy new year (Prosit Neujahr!), play The Blue Danube and close with Johann Strauss Sr.'s Radetzky March. During this last festive piece, the audience participates with the traditional clap-along, where the conductor turns to the audience to conduct them instead of the orchestra.
An exception in the closing tradition happened in 2005, conducted by Lorin Maazel, where the program concluded with the Blue Danube Waltz. The Radetzky March was skipped, as a token of respect to the Tsunami victims (Dec. 2004).
"It is the desire of the Philharmonic not only to provide musically definitive interpretations of the masterworks of this genre, but at the same time, as musical ambassadors of Austria, to send people all over the world a New Year's greeting in the spirit of hope, friendship and peace."
Clemens Krauss, 1939, 1941–1945, 1948–1954
Josef Krips, 1946–1947
Willi Boskovsky, 1955–1979
Lorin Maazel, 1980–1986, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2005
Herbert von Karajan, 1987
Claudio Abbado, 1988, 1991
Carlos Kleiber, 1989, 1992
Zubin Mehta, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2007
Riccardo Muti, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, 2001, 2003
Seiji Ozawa, 2002
Mariss Jansons, 2006
Georges Prêtre, 2008
The concert is popular throughout Europe, and more recently around the world. The demand for tickets is so high that people have to preregister one year in advance in order to participate in the drawing of tickets for the following year.
The event has been broadcast on PBS in the United States. Since 2006, the concert has also been broadcast to viewers in several African countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and those in Latin America (Ecuador and Bolivia).
Source: Wikipedia, quotes from Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Philharmoniker
The Blue Danube 2007
The Blue Danube 1987
Radetzky March (1991?)
Tritsch Tratsch Polka
Overture Die Fledermaus
Polka Unter Donner und Blitz
