The Vienna Philharmonic has ushered in the third year of the pandemic with strict Corona measures and a large portion of musical confidence.
Under the direction of Daniel Barenboim, the orchestra popped corks, sang of nocturnal amusements and conjured up the mythological phoenix as a symbol of a new beginning in two pieces.
In this difficult time, the concert and the orchestra playing together is a symbol of the cohesion that the world needs now, Barenboim told the audience. Covid-19 is not only a medical but also a human disaster. “It is a catastrophe that wants to divide us apart”.
1000 spectators were allowed into the hall
The musicians had been looking forward to the performance in front of the audience, because last year the waltz and polka dance had to take place in front of empty stands due to the corona pandemic. However, due to concerns about the Omikron variant, the number of viewers was temporarily reduced from 1,700 to 1,000 this time. The guests had to show a complete basic immunization and a negative PCR test as well as wear FFP2 masks. Seats have been reserved for January 1, 2023 for the many cardholders who had to stay at home as a result.
Music played with a smile
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer stayed away from the concert voluntarily and preferred to watch it on television. In view of the impending wave of omicrons, a visit would be the “wrong signal,” he wrote on Facebook. The head of state was represented by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. The Viennese society lion and entrepreneur Richard Lugner did not miss the event.
The Philharmonic often maintain a stoic expression in their performances, even at New Year’s concerts. On Saturday, however, many of the musicians played with a smile on their faces. The orchestra’s decades-long bond with the pianist and conductor Barenboim was palpable. The 79-year-old maestro paid attention to a clear, light sound and exposed the folk music background of the waltzes and polkas. The general music director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden worked with minimal gestures and made sure that there was never too much exuberance.
A lot of jubilation broke out after the late romantic symphonic waltz “Sphärenkänge” by Josef Strauss (1827-70) – one of Barenboim’s favorite pieces. The audience was also enthusiastic about the polyphonic singing and whistling skills that the orchestra exhibited in Carl Michael Ziehrer’s (1843-1922) waltz “Nachtschwärmer”. The lines of text «Do we want to go home or we’ll stay here, are you for it?» In view of the current early Corona curfew in Austria, pointed hopefully into post-pandemic times.
The dance performance of the concert, which was broadcast to an audience of millions in 92 countries, took a step into the present. The ballet director of the Vienna State Opera, Martin Schläpfer, created a refreshingly modern choreography with powerful female solos for the waltz “Thousand and One Nights” by Johann Strauss (1828-99). The Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna then danced to the composition “Nymphs” by Johann’s brother Josef. This delicate polka was much better suited to the animals than the combative “Persian March”, which was also being considered, said Daniel Froschauer, director of the Philharmonic, before the concert.
After Barenboim, who has already conducted the New Year’s Concert three times, Franz Welser-Möst will lead the traditional event on January 1, 2023.