New Year’s Concert with Ernie and Bert

New Year's Concert

New Year's Concert

Mateusz Molęda, photo: Alexej Gorlatch Instead of waiting for the usual broadcast of the New Year’s concert from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein to hear Strauss waltzes, polkas and showstopping numbers from operettas, the musical atmosphere of Vienna can be experienced during the New Year’s Eve concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic. It is not easy to grasp the genealogy of the Strauss family. Josef, Eduard and as many as three Johanns are among the most famous members of the enterprising Austrian family with Hungarian roots, which over the course of the nineteenth century produced an abundant corpus of popular songs that resounded at carnival balls. The progenitor of the musical dynasty was the first of the Johanns, who was said to have been inspired by the music of bands wandering between the Viennese taverns along the Danube. However, it was his first-born son, also Johann, who made a name for himself as the ‘king of the waltz’ and the composer of numerous popular operettas, to mention but titles such as Die Fledermaus and Wiener Blut. Another descendant, Josef, the most universally talented of the siblings, planned a different career for himself, successfully completing studies in engineering. However, a sudden substitution for the sick Johann II turned his fortunes to music for life. After Josef’s death, the youngest of the brothers, Eduard, took over the responsibility of leading the family orchestra. Together with the orchestra, he visited the most diverse corners of the world, and at the beginning of the twentieth century, he published his written history of the musical Strauss family.

New Year's Concert with Roderick Cox

»Where to sow love, joy as love grows up.« Shakespeare already knew this – which is why we are setting off a lovingly put together musical firework at the turn of the year: it bears the stamp of our guest conductor, who is convinced that »we can understand ourselves and our feelings better through music«. Roderick Cox found his way against all odds: he grew up in a single-parent home in Macon, a small town in Georgia. There was no money to buy an instrument or go to concerts – until a foundation helped him out and he eventually got access to a classical music training programme. Today, he is a strong champion of young African-American artists from underrepresented social backgrounds. And he attracts international attention with his well thought-out concert programmes. In his debut on our conductor’s podium, he would like to showcase the range of US-American music – a fascinating mixture, sparkling like champagne. And although the pieces all originate from his home country, they also deal with more global themes and their expressive power is boundless nonetheless. The musical sparklers and possibly a few more sparking encores add a festive flair, but hopefully also remind us all how invaluable the power of music is for love and peace – in the words of Roderick Cox: »Classical music is not just an art to make us feel good, but it should also inspire social thinking, point the finger at injustice, support our freedom and connect people with each other.«

New Year's Eve Concert

New Year’s Eve Concert

The brochure on page 24 contains incorrect prices for the concert on 30 December in the Konzerthaus. The following prices apply: € 45 / 48 / 51 /55 /60 / 65

New Year’s Eve Concert

Mateusz Molęda, photo: Alexej Gorlatch Instead of waiting for the usual broadcast of the New Year’s concert from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein to hear Strauss waltzes, polkas and showstopping numbers from operettas, the musical atmosphere of Vienna can be experienced during the New Year’s Eve concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic. It is not easy to grasp the genealogy of the Strauss family. Josef, Eduard and as many as three Johanns are among the most famous members of the enterprising Austrian family with Hungarian roots, which over the course of the nineteenth century produced an abundant corpus of popular songs that resounded at carnival balls. The progenitor of the musical dynasty was the first of the Johanns, who was said to have been inspired by the music of bands wandering between the Viennese taverns along the Danube. However, it was his first-born son, also Johann, who made a name for himself as the ‘king of the waltz’ and the composer of numerous popular operettas, to mention but titles such as Die Fledermaus and Wiener Blut. Another descendant, Josef, the most universally talented of the siblings, planned a different career for himself, successfully completing studies in engineering. However, a sudden substitution for the sick Johann II turned his fortunes to music for life. After Josef’s death, the youngest of the brothers, Eduard, took over the responsibility of leading the family orchestra. Together with the orchestra, he visited the most diverse corners of the world, and at the beginning of the twentieth century, he published his written history of the musical Strauss family.

New Year's Eve Concert with Roderick Cox

Tickets for our New Year's Eve concerts go on sale on 21 October 2024 at 10 am.

New Year's Eve Concert with Roderick Cox

Tickets for our New Year's Eve concerts go on sale on 21 October 2024 at 10 am.

New Year’s Eve concert with Kirill Petrenko and Daniil Trifonov

Martha Argerich speaks of Daniil Trifonov with astonishment: “He has everything and more – tenderness, but also a demonic quality. I’ve never heard anything like it.” To round off the year, the star pianist performs Johannes Brahms’ monumentally virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko. After the interval, the powerful and festive prelude from Richard Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg follows. The concert concludes with two lavishly-orchestrated dance works by Richard Strauss of a contrasting nature: the charming waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier and Salome’s Dance, with its exhibitionistic, almost brutal sensuality.

New Year’s Eve concert with Kirill Petrenko and Daniil Trifonov

Martha Argerich speaks of Daniil Trifonov with astonishment: “He has everything and more – tenderness, but also a demonic quality. I’ve never heard anything like it.” To round off the year, the star pianist performs Johannes Brahms’ monumentally virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko. After the interval, the powerful and festive prelude from Richard Wagner’s opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg follows. The concert concludes with two lavishly-orchestrated dance works by Richard Strauss of a contrasting nature: the charming waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier and Salome’s Dance, with its exhibitionistic, almost brutal sensuality.