From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2025

♪♪ -Hello, everyone.

I'm Hugh Bonneville, wishing you a happy New Year from the Austrian Alps.

Today, the Vienna Philharmonic is celebrating the bicentennial of the Waltz King, Johann Strauss.

Maestro Riccardo Muti leads the orchestra in the Musikverein's Golden Hall, and we'll hop on a train to snowy Alpine villages with the Vienna State Ballet.

So, join us from Vienna.

The New Year's Celebration 2025 is next on "Great Performances."

[ Instruments tuning ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Happy New Year.

I'm Hugh Bonneville, and I'm so glad to be back in this magnificent hall and to welcome you for this festive holiday concert.

This year, the orchestra and it seems all of Vienna is celebrating the bicentennial of the Waltz King Johann Strauss.

Here in the Musikverein, we and the Vienna Philharmonic are awaiting the entrance of Riccardo Muti.

It's the Maestro's seventh appearance conducting the concert, but his artistic collaboration with the orchestra spans more than 50 years and over 500 concerts, on tour, at the Salzburg Festival, and, of course, right here in the Golden Hall.

And that's in addition to conducting them from the pit in numerous productions at the Vienna State Opera.

Combining both waltz and czárdás, this first piece is a confection of Austrian schlag -- that's whipped cream -- and Hungarian spice.

Time to enjoy the Waltz King's "Zigeunerbaron."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] In 1885, with "Zigeunerbaron" following on the heels of "Die Fledermaus," Johann Strauss had two major worldwide hits, making him arguably the most popular composer of his time.

With the waning of the Austrian Empire, the capital began promoting its cultural supremacy to the world as Vienna, City of Music.

By the end of the 19th century, the young composer conductor Gustav Mahler and his protégé Arnold Schoenberg were riding high.

Their every premiere exciting, often scandalized the public.

Labeled "musical secessionists," they were the aural equivalents of the visual artists collective, the Secessionists, who were rebelling against the older traditionalist painters of the day.

The painter Gustav Klimt was a leading figure of this modernist movement.

An example of his work here in the Vienna Museum is this radical for its day, bejeweled portrait of his companion, Emilie Floge.

The explosion of artistic activity throughout Johann's adult years corresponded with a flurry of commercial and financial activity as the monarchy modernized and industrialized.

Huge fortunes were amassed, enriching the new middle class with money to spend on luxuries and their newfound leisure.

Ghosts from the bygone opulence of that fin-de-siècle realm are reawakened by soloists of the Vienna State Ballet.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Opening its doors more than 140 years ago, the Grand Hotel Suedbahn was the first exclusive mountain resort to be developed in the Alps.

The new Austrian railway system built it in order to offer illustrious guests from Vienna an escape high in the mountains at the Semmering Pass, just two short hours from the capital.

The castle-like house quickly became a center of the intellectual and artistic world, which met here to see and be seen.

It continues today as a lively cultural and arts event space.

In its heyday, the lobby would be filled with various European kings and queens, numerous princes, archdukes, counts, and other pillars of society.

Professor Dr. Sigmund Freud was a frequent guest, as were the director of the Viennese Imperial Opera, Gustav Mahler and his wife, Alma, the painter Oskar Kokoschka, architects and designers Koloman Moser and Adolf Loos, the novelist Franz Werfel, sundry stage actors and actresses, and stars from that newly popular thing called the cinema.

Another luminary of the day was Joseph Hellmesberger Jr. Grandson, son, nephew, and brother of Vienna Philharmonic members, he was himself a violinist, composer, and, at the turn of the century, principal conductor of the Philharmonic.

Now the orchestra plays his toe-tapping "Merry Brothers March."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Applause ] Johann Strauss was born in 1825 into the repressed conservative world of Biedermeier Vienna, which centered on home and family.

The first of five children of an already renowned bandleader and composer, he lived a comfortable youth downtown at the Golden Stag, with summers spent among the vineyards and wooded hills overlooking the city.

Their accommodation would have looked very much like this, the lodgings of the revered Austrian dramatist Franz Grillparzer, preserved for us here at the Vienna Museum.

For the poet, this room was study, reception, and bedroom all in one.

Now, Johann's father had no intention that his son should follow him into the family business, but secretly, with his mother's help and guidance from his father's colleagues, the 19-year-old made his triumphant debut, conducting his own compositions, with violin in hand, at Dommayer's Casino, in the suburbs, in 1844.

Johann Jr. would perform there often in his youth, showcasing not only his work but those of his friends, including the waltzes of the 13-year-old Austrian phenomenon Constanze Geiger, pianist, singer, actress and composer.

However, it was Johann's father who would premiere our next piece, her "Ferdinandus Waltz."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Applause ] As the Empire grew after the Napoleonic Wars, Austria was desperate for a faster route from the capital to its Mediterranean port in Trieste.

Two railway lines were built, one running south from Vienna and another coming north from the Adriatic.

There was just one problem -- the spectacular Alpine ridge behind me.

Employing 18,000 laborers, the building of a railway line over the mountain at the Semmering Pass would become one of the most costly railway projects of the 19th century.

Constructing numerous large viaducts and mile-long tunnels, the high mountain range was finally crossed, making the Semmeringbahn the world's first mountain railway.

Now passengers could travel in comfort from Vienna to the Mediterranean in a mere 13 hours and 4 minutes.

Just like the Little Engine that Could, "I think I can," boast the dancers from the Vienna State Ballet as they build up a head of steam to the strains of Johann's "Either - Or!"

polka.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Applause ] [ Train horn blares ] The steep terrain on the southern routes from the capital through the Alps required the use of new technologies, especially the development of powerful new locomotives.

So it's all aboard on the Rittinger!

And this very steam engine, designed for Suedbahn in 1873, was considered one of the best.

It served as a model of railway engineering through the end of the century.

Josef Strauss, the Waltz King's younger brother, was a mechanical engineer employed by the city of Vienna.

He designed the horse-drawn forerunner of today's revolving-brush streetsweeping vehicles.

When Johann suffered a mental and physical breakdown, Josef was reluctantly drawn into the family business to take command of the orchestra.

The multi-talented engineer, composer, conductor, singer, painter, poet, and dramatist somehow found the time to author two textbooks on mathematical subjects, as well.

His "Transactions" waltz doesn't concern financial matters, however, but rather delves into affairs of the heart.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Applause ] Imbibing and dancing made a perfect pairing for Viennese artists of the 19th century.

You could say that Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" veritably floats on an ocean of champagne, while in the lowly pubs and suburban parks, the revelers had to rely on the local wine or beer.

For Vienna's poorer classes, a night out dancing provided a rare chance to leave care behind.

Waltzes and polkas caused considerable scandal at first.

Couples closely entwined, twirling at intoxicating speed could provide a fleeting moment of intimacy with a stranger.

Add wine and anything goes.

Johann Strauss premiered his "Annen-Polka," one of his earliest successes, in the biergarten of a pub in Vienna's famous Prater Park, called The Wild Man.

Later, he incorporated the melody into a drinking song in an operetta he set at an attraction there.

At the ball, our heroine realizes the bubbly may have gone to her head.

"Suddenly, I'm feeling so giddy.

I'm spinning from my head to my toe.

One would think I were tipsy, but that cannot be so.

Oh, no."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Applause ] Oh, hold on.

I won't be a minute.

Actually, come to think of it, the sounds coming from this lovely room might give you an idea of what the Waltz King thought of idle gossip -- a Viennese passion, by the way.

The thrice-married composer was a rock star of his time, with any number of admiring ladies and the tabloids having a field day chronicling his every move.

Whether their stories were true or not, who cares?

These purveyors of tittle tattle are musically lampooned in Johann's "Chit-Chat-Polka."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] The Viennese artist who painted this during Johann's teenage years titled it "The Three Most Delicious Things," and it celebrates what?

Can you guess?

Wine, women, and -- there's the lute -- song.

Or in today's lingo, maybe sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll.

Could that man in the smock be the creator, by any chance?

For the Vienna Men's Choir Carnival Costume Ball, titled "The Fool's Evening," our ladies man wrote a waltz, which took its title and text from the old German saying, "Who loves not wine, women, and song remains a fool his whole life long."

Though the composer did not conduct the premiere, he was present and costumed as a pilgrim, no less.

The premiere was such a success that Strauss was called to the stage, where he proceeded to bless his flock.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Johann's "Wine, Women and Song" waltz concludes the program here in the Golden Hall.

Now let's get on to our encores.

Tradition demands three.

You already know the last two.

First up is an exotic little quick polka from his first operetta, "Indigo and the Forty Thieves."

A critic wrote of the show that, "All in all, the first step that Johann Strauss has taken on the stage has turned out well, and let us hope that we shall encounter the excellent maestro many more times on the road he has embarked upon."

Strauss without Vienna is as unthinkable as Vienna without Strauss.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Art for a new age.

This is the Secession, the exhibition space built by and for the new progressive artists of Vienna.

Gustav Klimt, a towering figure of the group, appears seated on his throne, surrounded by his Secessionist colleagues.

With them, Viennese modernism was born.

A second institution, the Wiener Werkstatte, brought together artists, designers, and highly skilled artisans producing everyday objects, the intention being to transcend the barriers between art and life.

The enormous wealth of creativity and achievements around the turn of the century encompassed art and literature, theater, dance and music, architecture and engineering, medicine, psychology, and economics, changing the way we see our world today.

Johann Strauss's life and work bridged both the old world and the new age, from bandleader to modest suburban tavern to worldwide renown as Austria's Waltz King.

Of him, Richard Strauss remarked that, "In an era when everything surrounding him had already evolved toward the complex and the premeditated, Johann Strauss was the last to have primary inspiration."

No piece exemplifies this more than his "Blue Danube" waltz.

♪♪ [ Applause ] [ Music stops ] -[ Speaking Italian ] -[ Speaking foreign language ] [ Cheers and applause ] -[ Speaking Italian ] [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] -Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic have sent their New Year's greetings of hope, friendship, and peace to the world with the "Blue Danube" waltz.

So, Maestro, it's time to launch the New Year, as we join in and clap to the beat of the "Radetzky March."

In Vienna, I'm Hugh Bonneville, wishing you and yours a joyous and healthy 2025.

♪♪ [ Audience clapping rhythmically ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Clapping resumes ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Clapping resumes ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -To find out more about this and other "Great Performances" programs, visit... Find us on Facebook and follow us on X.

♪♪ [ Clapping resumes ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ]