Prosit Neujahr
ITA Vienna, presentazione del Concerto di Capodanno 2021: approfondisci il programma
Programme Notes.
This is the sixth time that Naples-born conductor Riccardo Muti is in charge of a New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic, an orchestra with which he has been closely associated for exactly half a century, appearing with them a total of 550 times to date and enjoying the status of an honorary member since 2011. It makes sense, then, to honour his forthcoming eightieth birthday with a programme of works that recall his native Italy.
The 2021 New Year's Concert begins with a piece not previously performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, Franz von Suppè's Fatinitza March. This march comes from the third act of the operetta of the same name. Premiered at Vienna's Carltheater in 1876, Fatinitza takes as its starting point a love affair and a comedy of disguise set near the Ottoman fortress of Isaccea during the Crimean War of 1853–56, when the town was besieged by Russian forces. Reviewing the first production, the Wiener Abendpost summed up its plot as "the usual Viennese potatosalad garnished with segments of Italian oranges; Viennese songs and dances and, immediately afterwards, a kind of Italian preghiera!" Audiences loved this combination of flavours. Even on the first night, the march had tobe repeated, and within months of the premiere 350,000 copies of the score of this particular number had been sold by music dealers.
Also new to the Vienna Philharmonic's reper tor y is the waltz S ch a l l w e l l e n(Sound Waves) that was written for the Technicians' Ball in the Sophienbad - Saal in 1854. In part the piece reminds us of physical sound waves, notably the sound of pealing bells in the fifth part of the waltz, but it also contains echoes of the music of two of Johann Strauß's fellow composers, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner. It was the younger Strauß, after all, who first performed excerpts from Wagner’s works at this period in Vienna: in 1853 he introduced local audiences to the prelude to Act Three of Lohengrin and to the Pilgrims' Chorus from Tannhäuser , while the overture to Tannhäuser was first heard at a Sophienbad-Saal concert in 1854.
Strauß spent the summer of 1859 at the resort of Pavlovsk to the south of St. Petersburg, and it was here that he wrote his Niko Polka for Prince Nikolay ('Niko') Davidovich Dadian - Mingrelsky, a piece inspired by Russian motifs and featuring some remarkable instrumentation and characteristic minor - key harmonies. Nikolay hailed from the Caucasus but lived in St. Petersburg and visited nearby Pavlovsk. Strauß was on friendly terms with him and his family.
We stay at Pavlovsk for Ohne Sorgen(Without a Care), where an already ailing Josef Strauß spent his last summer with his brother. It was not only his health that filled him with care, so too did the uncertain future of the summer seasons that had brought him and his family to the resort for many years, although there is no trace of any such worries in the demonstratively optimistic quick polka that was first per formed there – with vocal contributions from the orchestra – in September 1869. Neither of the brothers ever returned to Pavlovsk.
The next two composers made their posthumous Philharmonic debuts only in 2021: Carl Zeller and Carl Millöcker are nowadays known chiefly for their operettas. Zeller was still a child when he first encountered the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic, a body of players that had been formed in the year of his birth, 1842: he per formed alongside them in per formances of Masses in the Court Chapel, where he sang as a boy soprano. A civil servant by profession, he studied music on the side and composed his works in keeping with a line from his operetta Der Obersteiger(The Foreman of the Mine) , which was premiered at the Theater an der Wien in 1894: "The bureaucrat does his job from nine till one – but never does anything more than this ." The concert waltz G ru b e n l i ch te r ( Davy Lamps )is based on motifs from the operetta . The por table miners' lamps are indicativeof the place where the work is set, namely, a mine in southern Germany. The operetta even opens with a call for a strike.
Carl Millöcker was likewise born in 1842. He too knew the Vienna Philharmonic from his earliest youth since he studied the flute with one of the orchestra's founder members, Franz Zierer. The galop In Saus und Braus(Living It Up) comes from the operettaDer Probekuss ( The Trial Kiss ) , which, like Zeller'sDer Obersteiger, waspremiered at the Theater an der Wien in 1894.
Millöcker was only sixteen when Franz von Suppè signed him up as a flautist at the Theater in der Josefstadt, later recommending him as a conductor at the theatre in Graz. At the 2021 New Year's Concert the overture to the comedy D i ch te r u n d B a u e r(Poet and Peasant) likewise leads directly from Millöcker to Suppè. Suppè did not initially intend this popular overture, with its great violoncello and harp solo, for Carl Elmar's 1846 comedy since he had already used it on no fewer than two previous occasions. But it owes its popularity to this revised version and to its echoes of the Italian bel canto tradition. It was in this form, too, that it found its way into the repertory of the Strauß orchestra.
Karl Komzák was born in Prague, the son of a local bandmaster, a career that he too embraced. His best - known waltz is Bad'ner Mad'ln(Girls of Baden), its march rhythms and fanfare motifs making no attempt to deny its origins in band music. It was written in 1898 in the spa town of Baden, thirty kilometres (about twenty miles) to the south of Vienna, where Komzák took over the town’s band in 1893 and gave it a new lease of life. It was here, too, that both Zeller and Millöcker spent the final months of their lives. Komzák's waltz was heard for the first time at a concert in the resort’s public gardens as part of a programme that also included works by Liszt and Tchaikovsky.
It is hard to think of a greater contrast than the one between Komzák's swaggering waltz and Josef Strauß's elegant Margherita Polka, a piece that once again forges a link between Austria and Italy. It was written in 1868 to celebrate the wedding of Princess Margherita of Genoa and her cousin, Crown Prince Umberto of Italy. It was not in fact per formed at the festivities accompanying the royal couple's actual ceremony, even though the work's publishers implied this in their attempt to drum up trade. And so it was not the newlyweds who heard its first per formance but the audience at a promenade concert held by Vienna’s Horticultural Society.
T h e Ve n e t i a n e r - G a l o p p(Ve n e t i a n G a l o p) by Johann Strauß the Father is the oldest work in this year's programme. It was first heard as part of a gala ball held in the Vienna Augarten in 1834, when the sets were inspired by St Mark's Square in Venice. Although the clicking of the castanets may have little to do with the atmosphere traditionally associated with La Serenissima, it may none the less represent the clinking coins of the composer's income from this night at the ball. As reported by the press, the figure of 2,000 florins would have constituted a decent year's income for many a musician at the imperial cour t .
J o h a n n St r a u ß's popular waltz F r ü h l i n g s s t i m m e n(Voices of Spring) was originally a setting of words by Richard Genée, the librettist of Die Fleder maus and Fa t i n i t z a. The "voices of spring" were those of the lark and nightingale that were amply hymned in the original coloratura soprano aria but they are equally ef fective in the instrumental version that was first heard in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in 1883 at a promenade concert with the Strauß orchestra that also included a buf fet.
The lively twittering of songbirds may also be heard in Strauß's polka Im Krapfenwald'l(In Krapf's Woods), where it contributes to the feeling of local colour and provides a breath of escapism in the ver y best sense of the term. It was originally written in 1869 for Strauß's final summer season in Pavlovsk, when it was titled ImPawlowsk - Walde (In the Pavlovsk Woods), but for its first performance in Vienna Strauß relocated its setting to apopular woodland area with a tavern in the foothills of the Vienna Woods. Since the 1920s this part of the city’s environs has also included an inviting open - air swimming pool commanding a magnificent view of the surroun-ding area that is also immensely popular with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and with their children.
The Neue Melodien - Quadrille(New Melodies Quadrille) of 1861 is Strauß 's tribute to the Imperial and Royal Court Opera Orchestra and, hence, indirectly to the Vienna Philharmonic. In it he reworked tunes from four of Verdi's operas, Ernani, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata, which he and his audience knew from the Court Opera repertory. In some cases the melodies have been adapted in rhythmically startling ways.
If Strauß's Quadrille invites us to guess the Italian tunes on which it is based, the situation is by no means as clear - cut in the case of the title of the Kaiser walzer(Emperor Waltz). This piece was originally called Hand inHand , and it was under this title that its first per formance was advertised in Berlin in 1889. As such, this titlerefers to the alliance between two emperors, the Habsburg emperor Franz Joseph and his Berlin host, Kaiser Wilhelm II of the House of Hohenzollern. The political background of this alliance between the Habsburg and Hohenzollern Empires is recalled in the waltz's marchlike opening but the remainder of the piece – one of the high points of Strauß's musical output – strikes a much more nuanced note. Perhaps the Two Emperors' Waltz would be a more exact title.
The 2021 New Year's Concer t ends of ficially with a piece titled St ü r m i s ch i n Lieb' und Tanz(Tempestuous inLove and Dance), the very title of which can suggest only a frenzied quick polka.Johann Straußwrote it in 1881for the annual ball of Concordia, the association of local journalists and writers, basing it on motifs from his operetta Das Spitzentuch der Königin (The Queen's Lace Handkerchief) . The performance was conducted by the composer's brother, Eduard, who had engaged a writer to provide titles for the dances that members of the Strauß family tossed off in such quick succession. In the present case the title turned out to be especially dynamic.
2021 New Year's Concert. List of Works.
Franz von Suppè,Fatinitza March*
Johann Strauß II,Schallwellen(Sound Waves). Waltz, o p . 14 8*
Johann Strauß II,Niko Polka, o p . 2 2 8
Josef Strauß ,Ohne Sorgen(Without a Care). Fast Polka, o p . 271
Carl Zeller ,Grubenlichter (Davy Lamps). Waltz*
Carl Millöcker ,I n S a u s u n d B ra u s(L i v i n g i t U p). Galop*
Franz von Suppè , Over ture toDichter und Bauer(Poet and Peasant)
Karl Komzák ,Bad'ner Mad'ln(Girls of Baden). Waltz, o p . 257*
Josef Strauß ,Margherita Polka, o p. 244*
Johann Strauß I,Venetianer - Galopp(Venetian Galop), o p. 74*
Johann Strauß II,Frühlingsstimmen(Voices of Spring). Waltz, o p . 410
Johann Strauß II,Im Krapfenwald'l(In Krapf's Woods). Polka française, o p . 3 36 Johann Strauß II,Neue Melodien - Quadrille(New Melodies Quadrille), o p . 254 Johann Strauß II,Kaiser walzer(Emperor Waltz), o p . 437
Johann Strauß II,Stürmisch in Lieb' und Tanz (Tempestuous in Love and Dance). Fast Polka, o p . 3 93
*First per formance at a New Year's Concer t of the Vienna Philharmonic
Riccardo Muti.
Riccardo Muti was born in Naples and studied the piano with Vincenzo Vitale at the city's Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella, graduating with distinction before going on to study composition and conducting with Bruno Bettinelli and Antonino Votto at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservator y in Milan .
Riccardo Muti first came to the attention of critics and public alike in 1967, when he was unanimously awarded the first prize in the Guido Cantelli Conducting Competition in Milan. The following year he was appointed the principal conductor of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a position he held until 1980. In 1971 he was invited by Herbert von Karajan to conduct at the Salzburg Festival, the first of many such occasions. From 1972 to 1982 he was Otto Klemperer's successor as principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. In 1980 he took over from Eugene Ormandy as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, remaining in charge until 1992.
From 1986 to 2005 Riccardo Muti was music director of La Scala, Milan. During his tenure – the longest in the house's histor y – he oversaw several major projects, including a Mozart - Da Ponte cycle and Wagner's R i n g . Alongside the classics of the reper toire, including numerous operas by Verdi, he also brought many rarely per formed and neglected works to light, including Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites, for which he won the prestigious Premio Abbiati. In December 2004 he triumphantly reopened the restored opera house with Salieri's Europa riconosciuta .
In the course of his exceptional career, Riccardo Muti has conducted many of the world's leading orchestras from the Berlin Philharmonic and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de France.
He has particularly close ties to the Vienna Philharmonic and has appeared with the orchestra at the Salzburg Festival on a regular basis since 1971. When he conducted the orchestra's 150t h anniversary concert in 1992, he was presented with its Golden Ring, a special sign of esteem and affection, awarded only to a few select conductors. He conducted the prestigious and extremely famous New Year's Concert in Vienna five times, in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2018 . In 2021 the continuous collaboration between Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic will reach 51 years.
In 2004 Muti founded the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra, which is made up of young musicians selected by an international jur y from more than 600 instrumentalists from all over Italy.
Muti's social and civic conscience as an artist is reflected in the concerts he has conducted as part of his project "Le vie dell’Amicizia" (The Paths of Friendship) that is organized by the Ravenna Festival since 1997. These concerts are given in places that symbolize our troubled past and contemporary history. Among the ensembles that he has conducted on these occasions are the Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, the Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Musicians of Europe United – a group of leading players from Europe's major orchestras – and the Cherubini Youth Orchestra. Muti's multi - award - winning discography ranges from Classical symphonic works to operas and contemporar y music. His current label is RMMusic (www.riccardomutimusic.com).
Riccardo Muti has received innumerable awards. He is a Cavaliere di Gran Croce of the Italian Republic, a recipient of the German Order of Merit , an Of ficer of the French Legion of Honour and an honorar y KnightCommander of the British Empire . The Salzburg Mozarteum has awarded him its Silver Medal, and in Vienna heis an honorar y member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle and the Vienna StateOpera . He has additionally been awarded the Russian Order of Friendship and Israel's Wolf Prize for the Arts .
In 2007 Riccardo Muti initiated a five-year project with the Cherubini Orchestra at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival devoted to the rediscover y and reassessment of the operatic and sacred music heritage of the Neapolitan school of the 18t h centur y.
In September 2010 Riccardo Muti became music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2011 his live recording of the Verdi Messa da Requiem with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus won two GrammyAwards in two categories: Best Classical Album and Best Choral Per formance .
In 2011 Muti not only received the coveted Birgit Nilsson Prize , the Prince of Asturias Prize for the Ar ts and an Opera News Award, he was also appointed an honorar y member of the Vienna Philharmonic and honorar ydirector for life of the Rome Opera . In 2012 he was awarded the highest papal honour when Pope Benedict XVIappointed him a Knight of the Grand Cross First Class of the Order of St Gregor y the Great . In 2016 he was honoured by the Japanese government with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star. In October 2018, Muti received the prestigious Praemium Imperiale for Music of the Japan Ar ts Association in Tokyo. He has received more than 20 honorary degrees from the most important universities of the world.
In July 2015 Riccardo Muti set up a further scheme for training young musicians, when the first Riccardo MutiItalian Opera Academy for young conductors, répétiteurs and singers attracted participants from all over the worldto the Teatro Alighieri in Ravenna, and later in Tokyo. The aim of the academy is to pass on to young musicians Muti's experience and mastery and to familiarize audiences with the complex process that goes into performing opera (www.riccardomutioperacademy.com).
At present, Riccardo Muti is Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
For more information about Riccardo Muti visit: www. riccardomuti . com
ORF.
The 81st "New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic" 2021 live on ORF 2 and Ö1:"matinee" with documentaries, ORF ballet production and film duringthe concert break
On Friday, January 1s t , 2021, the ORF will broadcast the 81s t New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein – live at 11.15 a.m. on ORF 2 and Ö1. The top - class cultural event, which is now being conducted by Maestro Riccardo Muti for the sixth time and which, due to Corona, is taking place without an audience for the first time in its history, is produced for television in the best high-definition quality and in Dolby Digital 5.1.
In addition to works from the well - known Strauß repertoire, unknown or seldom played compositions are on the program. Some of these by contemporaries such as Carl Millöcker, Carl Zeller or Karl Komzák. For the third time, Henning Kasten will serve as the director for the ORF's TV broadcast of the "Concert of Concerts". The live TV event, which will be going into its 63r d rendition, is being watched by millions of people in almost 100 countries worldwide. In addition, ORF 2 will present a supporting program on New Year's Day, ranging from TV documen-taries, and two pre - produced ballet interludes to the traditional music film during the concert break, which will be dedicated to the 100 t h anniversary of the federal state of Burgenland.
ORF live broadcast with 14 cameras all over the world; Live applause possible
For the 63r d time in its history, ORF television will broadcast the New Year's Concert live from the magnificent Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein with its unique acoustics . The traditional cultural event is considered the world's most broadcast concer t event, seen by millions of people in almost 100 countries on all five continents. The ORF team with a total of 14 cameras ensures brilliant ORF HD images and incomparable cultural enjoyment. Henning Kasten, who has already done so during 2018 and 2019, will be directing the live broadcast, as well as the ballet interludes produced by the ORF. The dance per formances of the Vienna State Ballet, which were created in the summer and which faced special challenges during the months of preparation, will be played for the television audience during the TV broadcast, as will film contributions to three special waltz compositions. The so-called ORF "Pausenfilm" [a film played during the concert's intermission] was also pre-produced. The live commentary during the concert will be spoken by the ORF's very own culture expert Barbara Rett.
Due to measures implemented during the Corona pandemic, and for the first time since its conception, the New Year's Concert will have to take place without a live audience in the hall. For this reason the ORF has launched a special initiative. Via the website www.mynewyearsconcert.com, people around the world can register to record their live applause and thus give the Vienna Philharmonic the accolade they are due. Furthermore, interested parties can upload a creative photo in advance, which also visually expresses their enthusiasm. During the live applause, the ORF will show a limited number of images, including information as to which parts of the world the participants are applauding from.
Supporting TV program and concert Da Capos
In anticipation of the most famous of all Philharmonic concer ts, the New Year's "matinee", a feature named "Start of the New Year's Concert 2021", shown on Friday, January 1st, at 10.35 a.m., will take a look behind the scenes of the glamorous event. The film by Thomas Bogensberger shows interesting facts about the months of preparation: from the ballet shooting to setting up the elaborate flower arrangements in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein to glimpses into the orchestra rehearsals.
The ORF "Pausenfilm", shown during the intermission, is titled "Happy Birthday, Burgenland! 1921–2021" (approx. at 11.50 am) by Felix Breisach, and pays tribute to the youngest and smallest federal state in Austria on its 100t h anniversary. In addition to historical aspects, the focus is on musical greats such as Franz Liszt and Joseph Haydn. The performances of the Vienna State Ballet shown during the concert and pre - produced by the ORF were danced in the splendid rooms and facilities of the Liechtenstein Garden Palace and in the Looshaus. For the 150 th birthday of its architect "Adolf Loos – Visionary and Provocateur ", ORF 2 will be showing the film portrait of the same name by Rudolf Klingohr at 9.45 am.
Anyone who misses the live broadcast of the New Year's Concert in the morning has three more TV opportunities to watch the event: As a "late riser service", "ORF III Kultur und Information" will be broadcasting a Da Capo during prime time on January 1s t (8 .15 p.m.), introduced by "Prelude for the New Year's Concert 2021" (7.35 p.m.).
3sat will broadcast the top - class cultural event on Saturday, January 2n d (8 .15 p.m.). ORF 2 will then show the top event in the "matinee" on Wednesday, January 6t h (10.05 am) – before that the "Pausenfilm" (9.05 am) and the opening documentary, this time under the title "Behind the scenes of the New Year's Concert" (9.30 am), will be shown.
Two ballet interludes on Johann Strauß and Josef Strauß:
Choreography by José Carlos Martínez, costume design by Christian Lacroix
The two dance performances of the New Year's concert ballet, traditionally produced by the ORF, which can be seen as part of the TV concert broadcast, were developed at the end of August 2020. Ten soloists from the Vienna State Ballet danced the choreographies in the magnificent rooms and facilities of the Liechtenstein Garden Palace and in the so - called Looshaus – one of the central buildings of Viennese Modernism, created by Adolf Loos. As in the previous year, the choreography was developed by the Spanish José Carlos Martínez. The costumes for both ORF ballet pieces were designed by the French fashion designer Christian Lacroix for the third time – after already having done so in 1998 and 2000. The soloists danced to Josef Strauß Margherita Polka , op. 244, which up until now has never been performed during the New Year's concert. The dancers Alice Firenze, Sveva Gargiulo, Ketevan Papava, and Davide Dato were asked to per form to this magnificent piece. The second ballet choreography was performed for the waltz Frühlingsstimmen(Voices of Spring) , op. 410 , by Johann Strauß Sohn. To this, four couples Liudmila Konovalova and Denys Cherevychko, Ketevan Papava and Roman Lazik, Alice Firenze and Masayu Kimoto, and Eszter Ledán and Zsolt Török performed. Concert director Henning Kasten was also asked to direct these fantastic per formances for the third time.
Felix Breisach's ORF "Pausenfilm" during the intermission pays tribute to 100 years of the federal state of Burgenland
The traditional ORF film during the intermission of the New Year's Concert is dedicated to the youngest of the nine Austrian federal states, Burgenland. The area, formerly known as "German West Hungary" belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary until the end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and – according to the Treaty of Trianon – had to be ceded to the new Republic of Austria in 1921. The easternmost and smallest federal state, which is mainly characterized by the lake Neusiedler See, is celebrating its 100t h anniversary in 2021. Titled "Happy Birthday, Burgenland! 1921–2021", the film produced by Felix Breisach tells the historically documented demarcation by the Americans after the First World War and, through compositions of musical greats from Burgenland such as Franz Liszt and Joseph Haydn – performed by selected philharmonic ensembles – also conveys the diversity of Burgenland’s landscapes and cultures.
The New Year's Concert 2021 in Ö1: Live broadcast and "intermezzo" during the intermission
As is tradition, Ö1 will broadcast the "New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic" on January 1s t , 2021 from 15 a.m. onwards, live from the Vienna Musikverein. During the concert intermission, Katharina Menhofer will speak with contrabassist and CEO Michael Bladerer at around 11.5 0 a.m.
The "Concert of Concerts" online and in the TELETEXT
Even if the New Year's Concert in 2021 will be a little different – the usual services will once again be available online and via teletext: The ORF.at networks will inform the public about all pertinent details of the program, orchestra and conductor through online offers – such as the websites news.ORF.at and oe1.ORF.at – as well as through the ORF TELETEXT. The ORF -T Vthek ( T Vthek . ORF. at ) will provide a live stream of the T V broadcast throughout Austria as well as through the video - on - demand service for seven days after. This stream will also be included in a multimedia news.ORF.at story about the music event. oe1.ORF.at will additionally offer an audio stream of the concert event (live and on demand).
"Fidelio" for the New Year's Concert 2021
On the classical music platform "fidelio" (www.myfidelio.at) you can also watch the New Year's Concert 2021 via live stream across Austria. In anticipation of the live event, fidelio offers matinees of New Year's concerts from previous years via stream on Sundays 13t h , 20t h and 27 t h of December 2020 as well as on Wednesday and Thursday, 30t h and 31s t December 2020. Starting with the 2009 edition of the concert by star conductor Daniel Barenboim up until last year's performance with Andris Nelsons' debut at the podium of the Vienna Philharmonic.
ROLEX, EXCLUSIVE PARTNER OF THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC, PRESENTS THE 2021 NEW YEAR’S CONCERT AT THE WIENER MUSIKVEREIN, AUSTRIA
After the unprecedented challenges of 2020, the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert promises to lift spirits worldwide with its joyous message of peace and goodwill and hope for the future. It will take place on 1 January 2021 at 11.15 am.
This 81th edition will be led by Italian conductor Riccardo Muti. Every year, a different conductor is honoured by the invitation to wield the baton at this annual tribute to the music of Johann Strauss, his family and his contemporaries.
Rolex has been the Exclusive Sponsor of the New Year’s Concert since 2009. A favourite on the arts calendar, it is watched by millions of people in more than 90 countries.
Furthermore, in 2021 Rolex will present six concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic: 10 May, Opera di Firenze (Florence); 11 May, Teatro alla Scala (Milan); 29 May, Kölner Philharmonie (Cologne); 3 June, DR Koncerthuset (Copenhagen) ; 18 June, the annual Summer Night Concert (Vienna); and 18 September, Sagrada Família (Barcelona). It is expected that the three concerts in Milan, Vienna and Barcelona will be televised in many countries.
Rolex’s long-term support for the arts dates back to the 1970s, when revered soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa became the brand’s first arts Testimonee. Since then, Rolex has developed long-term associations with the world’s most prestigious events, institutions and orchestras. In 2020, the brand launched a series of “Perpetual Music” concerts that took place in Italy, Germany and France to assist artists whose work and lives have been adversely affected by the pandemic. The concerts, which involved some 100 artists, were streamed on Medici.tv reaching hundreds of thousands of music lovers across the world.
ABOUT THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC
The Vienna Philharmonic is widely acknowledged to be one of the world’s most esteemed orchestras, upholding the greatest traditions in classical music. Founded in 1842, with more than 175 years of artistic contribution, it is celebrated for its individuality and lustrous sound, as well as for its exacting standards, maintaining artistic integrity and communicating music’s humanitarian message across the world.
Rolex has been Exclusive Partner of the Philharmonic since 2008. This partnership, based on a shared commitment to the pursuit of excellence, has produced many musical collaborations of the highest calibre and reflects the company’s dedication to the arts and culture.
ABOUT ROLEX
Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 500 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, Rolex is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
European Broadcasting Union.
RIGHTS AND DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS FOR THE VPO NEW YEAR'S CONCERT
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world's foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable.
Together with our Member ORF, we are proud to bring this annual tradition to audiences around the world, helping them to warmly welcome in the New Year.
We represent 115 member organizations in 56 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and have an additional 3 4 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas.
Together, they reach a potential audience of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in more than 160 languages.
The long - time partnership between the VPO and the EBU highlights highlights our shared belief that public service channels remain essential to unite around large-scale events such as the New Year's Concert.
This year, as shared experiences are more precious than ever, we are proud that this landmark event will once again bring together 40 million people as the new year brings new hope.
Thanks to the Eurovision and Euroradio networks over 4 0 of our Members and 5 0 other international broadcasters will air this very special start to 2021.
The whole of the EBU community wishes you all an enjoyable concert and a happy and healthy new year.
Discover more about the EBU's activities on www.ebu.ch
Floral Decorations by Vienna Parks and Gardens
When Riccardo Muti raises his baton for the New Year's Concert on January 1, 2021, it will mark the sixth time that he has conducted this prestigious concert. The partnership between the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna City Gardens for the floral arrangements throughout the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, has been in place since 2015.
Once again this year, to the delight of television viewers around the world, the Vienna City Gardens, along with the Austrian gardeners and florists, will produce the arrangements which light up the Golden Hall in a resplendent sea of blossoming floral color.
NEW YEAR’S CONCERT 2021
The Vienna Philharmonic and Riccardo Muti
Only a few concerts attract the widespread international interest enjoyed by the New Year's Concert in Vienna. The Vienna Philharmonic will usher in the New Year with a concert conducted by Riccardo Muti at Vienna’s Musikverein. On New Year's Day of 2021 Riccardo Muti will conduct the prestigious New Year’s concert for the sixth time (1993, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2018). The conductor’s close artistic relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates 50 years, almost 550 concerts, and dates back to 1971. This makes it appropriate not only to reminisce about Italy but also to mark the forthcoming 80th birthday of the conductor and honorary member of the orchestra.
The live recording of the 2021 New Year’s Concert will be available digitally (January 8) and on CD (January 15), as well as on DVD, Blu-ray and vinyl (January 29) and as a visual album (February 12).