HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Das NEUJAHRSKONZERT

der Wiener Philharmoniker

 Foyer

The New Year Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic

is a concert of classical music that takes place

each year in the morning of January 1 in Vienna, Austria. 

It is in terms of international coverage 

the largest classical music event in the world

and is broadcast on television and radio to over 70 countries worldwide.

The music always includes pieces from the Johann Strauss family

with occasional additional music from other mostly Austrian composers.

There are traditionally about a dozen compositions played,

with a pause at the half and encores at the end.

Loorin Mazel, 1996

The music include waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and marches.

Of the encores, the first is often a fast polka.

The second is Johann Strauss II's waltz The Blue Danube,

whose introduction is interrupted by applause of recognition

and a New Year greeting from the musicians to the audience.

Ricardo Muti, 1997

This year the Austrian born conductor Franz Welser-Moest,

following in the footsteps of Clemens Krauss, Josef Krips,

Willi Boskovsky, Herbert von Karajan and Nikolaus Harnoncourt,

becomes the sixth Austrian conductor to stand at the helm

of the Vienna Philharmonic on the first day of the New Year.

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As far as I can think back - each New Year's Day I've listen to this concert.

My favorite Conductor was the Austrian Willy Boskovsky, 1955 - 1979

He had this great talent to convey the concert 

that I felt Johann Strauss himself is conducting.  

Willi Boskovsky, 1964

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The last piece is Johann Strauss I's  Radetzky March,

during which the audience claps along  under the conductor's wry direction.

Here with Zubin Mehta in 1998

PROSIT  NEUJAHR !

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The complete duration of the event is around two and a half hours.

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In view of the tradition of the New Year's Concerts, 

which began during the Second World War,

the Vienna Philharmonic performs the concert even today

not only as a presentation of Viennese musical culture at the 

highest level, but also to send the world a New Year's greeting

in the spirit of

Hope, Friendship and Peace

                                                                                                                     

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR

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EIN FROHES UND GESUNDES NEUES JAHR

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BONNE  ANNEE

Karin