One of the most anticipated events of the classical calendar, the Vienna Philharmonic’s exquisite New Year’s Concert brings the musicians of the prestigious orchestra together under the baton of a different influential conductor each year. Centered around a wide variety of dances in the Viennese style—especially the world-famous waltzes of the Strauss family—every edition brims with stately serenity and a hint of mischief, the perfect way to begin your New Year in music.
In 2017, the great Gustavo Dudamel was invited to join the illustrious ensemble. They start the program in style with the lively Nechledil Marsch, excerpted from Franz Léhar's Wiener Frauen (Viennese Ladies). Next up, after a series of delightful polkas, waltzes, and overtures, a choir takes the stage to interpret the sublime Moon Choir from Nicolai's Merry Wives of Windsor. Each member of the Strauss dynasty (Johann Sr. and Jr., Eduard, and Josef) is represented in the lineup of dances that follows, before the traditional encores—the "Blue Danube" Waltz and the Radetzky March—close out the festivities.
Photo © Terry Linke
