The inaugural balls honoring Obama aren’t the only classy balls scheduled this week. The first great event of the year for one of the world’s most famous classical music orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, is the annual Philharmonic Ball, which will be held on Jan. 22 in Vienna, Austria.
This year, musical performances at the opening ceremony will be conducted by Seiji Ozawa, once the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and now of the Vienna State Opera.
Since the start of the tradition in 1924, the honorary patron of the ball is the president of Austria. Dress code is strict: men in black decorated tails or tuxedos, women in white floor-length gowns and opera gloves. The minimum age requirement is 17 for women and 18 for men.
The heart of the annual festivity takes place in the Golden Hall at the artistic home of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Musikverein. For this special evening, thousands of fragrant flowers decorate the walls and tables throughout the building.
Unlike ordinary occasions, the Philharmonic orchestra is placed in the center of the hall and yields the stage to Austria’s president Dr. Heinz Fischer, members of the Austrian government, the governors and mayors of Vienna and Salzburg, who belong to the honorary committee of the ball, as well as to celebrities from artistic circles.
During the years, the distinguished Vienna event has been honored by artists like Montserrat Caballet, Jose Carreras, Gottfried von Einem, and Placido Domingo, among others.
Every year, the opening ceremony begins at 10 p.m. sharp with a festive fanfare composed by Richard Strauss in 1921. After this elegant musical introduction, space is freed for the debutant dancers—the young ladies and gentlemen who pave the way for the evening entertainment, under the melody of “Polonaise” by Chopin or Ziehrer.
All young dancers are selected and trained by the ball’s Master of Dance, Mr. Thomas Schäfer Elmayer, from the reputable Elmayer-Vestenbrugg School in Vienna. He is also the only one to speak at the opening ceremony. With the words “Alles Walzer!” (“Everybody Waltz!”), he officially invites all attendants to the floor for the first dance.
In no time, the whole floor of the Golden Hall is filled with eager participants and there is almost no room for the elegant shoes of the dancers. Every hall of the Musikverein is filled with smiling faces. All around, you can hear the classical performances of the Großes Ballorchester, conducted by Helmut Steubl, and modern swing and pop tunes which will be played this year by Axel Rot Orchester.
Culmination of the night comes with the traditional quadrille at 2 a.m., which makes the participants even more spirited. The dance consists of six parts, each including from 10 to 20 movements. It is performed by several couples in formation, and between each quadrille some of them must hurry to the other end of the hall and come back before the next part begins.
As the night draws to a close, the bright crystal chandeliers gradually dim and the waltz becomes ever slower, hinting to the guests that the fantasy is coming to an end. At 5 a.m., emotions cool down and dancers glide away to the melodies of the last dance, usually Lehar’s “Gold und Silber.” This signals that the time has come to say good-bye and all look forward to next year’s thrill.
This year, musical performances at the opening ceremony will be conducted by Seiji Ozawa, once the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and now of the Vienna State Opera.
Since the start of the tradition in 1924, the honorary patron of the ball is the president of Austria. Dress code is strict: men in black decorated tails or tuxedos, women in white floor-length gowns and opera gloves. The minimum age requirement is 17 for women and 18 for men.
The heart of the annual festivity takes place in the Golden Hall at the artistic home of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Musikverein. For this special evening, thousands of fragrant flowers decorate the walls and tables throughout the building.
Unlike ordinary occasions, the Philharmonic orchestra is placed in the center of the hall and yields the stage to Austria’s president Dr. Heinz Fischer, members of the Austrian government, the governors and mayors of Vienna and Salzburg, who belong to the honorary committee of the ball, as well as to celebrities from artistic circles.
During the years, the distinguished Vienna event has been honored by artists like Montserrat Caballet, Jose Carreras, Gottfried von Einem, and Placido Domingo, among others.
Every year, the opening ceremony begins at 10 p.m. sharp with a festive fanfare composed by Richard Strauss in 1921. After this elegant musical introduction, space is freed for the debutant dancers—the young ladies and gentlemen who pave the way for the evening entertainment, under the melody of “Polonaise” by Chopin or Ziehrer.
All young dancers are selected and trained by the ball’s Master of Dance, Mr. Thomas Schäfer Elmayer, from the reputable Elmayer-Vestenbrugg School in Vienna. He is also the only one to speak at the opening ceremony. With the words “Alles Walzer!” (“Everybody Waltz!”), he officially invites all attendants to the floor for the first dance.
In no time, the whole floor of the Golden Hall is filled with eager participants and there is almost no room for the elegant shoes of the dancers. Every hall of the Musikverein is filled with smiling faces. All around, you can hear the classical performances of the Großes Ballorchester, conducted by Helmut Steubl, and modern swing and pop tunes which will be played this year by Axel Rot Orchester.
Culmination of the night comes with the traditional quadrille at 2 a.m., which makes the participants even more spirited. The dance consists of six parts, each including from 10 to 20 movements. It is performed by several couples in formation, and between each quadrille some of them must hurry to the other end of the hall and come back before the next part begins.
As the night draws to a close, the bright crystal chandeliers gradually dim and the waltz becomes ever slower, hinting to the guests that the fantasy is coming to an end. At 5 a.m., emotions cool down and dancers glide away to the melodies of the last dance, usually Lehar’s “Gold und Silber.” This signals that the time has come to say good-bye and all look forward to next year’s thrill.
