Vienna New Year's Concert
| Vienna New Year's Concert Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker |
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|---|---|
The Vienna Music Association's concert hall
in 2004 |
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | Music event |
| Date(s) | 1 January |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Vienna |
| Country | Austria |
| Inaugurated | 31 December 1939 |
| Organised by | Vienna Music Association |
The Vienna New Year's Concert (Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) is a concert of classical music performed by the Vienna Philharmonic that takes place each year in the morning of New Year's Day in Vienna, Austria and is regarded by many as the most important classical concert worldwide. It is broadcast live around the world to an estimated audience of more than 50 million in 73 countries in 2012 and 93 countries in 2017.
The music always includes pieces from the Strauss family—Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II, Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss—with occasional additional music from other mainly Austrian composers, including Joseph Hellmesberger Jr., Joseph Lanner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Otto Nicolai (the Vienna Philharmonic's founder), Emil von Reznicek, Franz Schubert, Franz von Suppé, and Karl Michael Ziehrer. In 2009, music by Joseph Haydn was played for the first time: the 4th movement of his "Farewell" Symphony to mark the 200th anniversary of his death. There are traditionally about a dozen compositions played, with an interval halfway through the concert and encores at the end. They 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. The last is Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March, during which the audience claps along under the conductor's direction. In this last piece, the tradition also calls for the conductor to start the orchestra as soon he steps onto the stage, before reaching the podium. The complete duration of the event is around two and a half hours.
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