2014 - Highlights New Year's Day Concert

APPLAUSE Happy new year and a warm welcome to the goldenen hall of the

Musikverein, where the players of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

are on stage about to serenade the start of 2014 with a glittering

programme of polkas, marches and gallops. This year Daniel Barenboim

returns for a second time. A great honour but hard work is how he

described his role to me. The performance is supported by Rolex.

As ever it is the Strauss dynasty who are to the fore. Father Johann,

Johann Junior. It is with Eduard we start. Daniel Barenboim conducts the

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra here at the Musikverein this New Year's

Day 2014. MUSIC: "Helena Quadrille"

by Eduard Strauss Daniel Barenboim a great campaigner

for world peace by engaging him

the Vienna Philharmonic marking this memorial year, the centenary

of the start of World War One. MUSIC: "Friedenspalmen, Waltz"

by Josef Strauss MUSIC: "Caroline Gallop"

by Johann Strauss Sr The Caroline Gallop, played by the

Vienna Philharmonic, conducted this

New Year's Day by Daniel Barenboim. MUSIC: "Egyptian March"

by Johann Strauss Jr The Egyptian March by Johann

Strauss Jr. MUSIC: "Be Embraced, You Millions

Waltz" by Johann Strauss Jr APPLAUSE Be Embraced, You Millions!

Strauss saluting his friend Brahms. The title is from Schller's Ode to

Joy, words set by Beethoven in his 9th symphony. A quick polka next

with a wonderful title, Stormy in Love and Dance.

MUSIC: "Stormy In Love And Dance" by Johann Strauss Jr

APPLAUSE Stormy in Love and Dance by Johann

Strauss doctor. Daniel Barenboim conducting did Vienna Philharmonic

Orchestra here at the 2014 Vienna New Year's Day concert. Written for

the annual ball of the Vienna Writers and Journalists Association.

More next, Woodruff, a small highly fragrant plant.

MUSIC: "Waldmeister Overture" by Johann Strauss Jr

APPLAUSE Daniel Barenboim conducting the

Overture to Johann Strauss's operetta Waldermeister, a project

that came at on aspect tune moment for the composer. Many were writing

him off but the show was a huge hit, running for 88 performances.

The score also includes a gallop, part of the opera set in the mill.

The gallop was performed by a chorus line of apprentice millers, a tune

based on a song Strauss had written in his youth when he dated a

miller's daughter. MUSIC: "Klipp Klapp Gallop"

by Johann Strauss Jr APPLAUSE

The Klipp Klapp Gallop from Johann Strauss Junior's operetta

Waldermeister, written by the 70-year-old composer just 4 years

before his death. The sun has come out here in Vienna after a very

misty start. Very mild for the time of year. Indeed very warm here

inside the Musikverein, Daniel Barenboim conducting in in front of

not far short of 2,000 people. That number dwarfed by the 50 million

reckoned to tune in on radio and television around the world. . This

year 92 countries are showing the concert. For the first time it is

being shown by the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation and in

Argentina, where he was born. The biggest audience is in China, and

this year viewers in the tiny Pacific states of Tuvalu, Cook

Islands and Nauru join in for the first time. We are heading to the

Vienna woods, Strauss's famous Tales from the Vienna Woods, dating from

the 1860s. Television viewers will see the music illustrated by

pictures of the woods and the monastery at Klosterneuburg, filled

with art treasures and wonderful gothic art treasures. It celebrates

its 9 a 00th an versy this year. The zither features in the score -- in

the 900th anniversary this year. The zither features in the score.

MUSIC: "Tales From The Vienna Woods" by Johann Strauss Jr

APPLAUSE The Zither played by Wilfried

Scharf. Delighting Daniel Barenboim in Strauss's Tales from the Vienna

Woods, with pictures of the 900-year-old Klosterneuburg

monastery. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra what very popular for a

weekend trip, but not with Strauss, who hated climbing and never went

walking there. He hated heights so much he would sit on the floor of

his railway carriage and avoid looking out of the window on his

trip to Linz. Capriccio was his farewell to the

opera stage. He started work on it in the summer of 1940. We are going

to hear the Moonshine Music from Capriccio. Performed when the

Countess was deep in thought on the terrace.

MUSIC: "Moonshine Music" by Richard Strauss

APPLAUSE The Moonshine Music from Richard

Strauss's opera Capriccio. Radio 3 will be marking the 150th

anniversary of Strauss's birthday by broadcasting all his operas across

2014.For many one of the highlights of the New Year's concert is the

moment when musicians are joined by the dancers of the State Ballet.

This year they are in the Liechtenstein Palace in the centre

of the city. MUSIC: "The Romantics, Waltz"

by Joseph Lanner APPLAUSE

Music by Josef Lanner, the waltz for the Romantics. The dancing this year

could be considered Britain's contribution. The choreography is by

Ashley Page, and the costumes by Vivienne Westwood, who is married to

an Austrian. Two polkas next never before performed at a New Year's Day

concert. In a moment Shenanigans. But first a polka with a bit of

teasing going on. MUSIC: "Banter, Polka Mazur"

by Josef Strauss APPLAUSE the Shenanigans polka and

before that the teasing polka, both by Johann Strauss, both getting

their New Year's premieres. Even after many New Year's Day concerts

they've still played less than 50% of the Strauss repertoire.

The Musikverein feels rather intimate when you are inside it,

though the richness of the design can be overwhelming, with golden

caryatids that appear to support the balcony, and fine tapestries hanging

in front of the boxes. Another reference to Richard Strauss next,

on his 150th anniversary, a waltz by Johann Strauss, echoed in Der

Rosenkavalier. MUSIC: "Secret Attractions, Waltz"

by Josef Strauss APPLAUSE

the Dynamiden Waltz by Johann Strauss, with the subtitle Secret

Powers of Attraction. Music much to influence Richard Strauss when he

came to write his opera, Der Rosenkavalier. Johann Strauss died

very young, just before his 43rd birthday. Not long before his death

he wrote a sparkling polka called Without a Care.

MUSIC: "Without A Care" by Josef Strauss

APPLAUSE Daniel Barenboim shouting at the end

of Without a Care, a quick polka by Johann Strauss. Officially marking

the end of the 2014 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra New Year's

Day concert, except as regular fans know, there are a few more treats

ahead of us yet. Present by a member of the orchestra, that bouquet of

flowers contributed this year by the orchestra itself. Grown by the

gardeners and nurserymen and women of Austria. Well put together by the

look of it, as he struggles to pull one out. No, he's failed.

APPLAUSE this is Daniel Barenboim's second

appearance at the New Year's Day concert. Significance to the fact

that the orchestra asked this great peacemaker and musical diplomat to

return to conduct again. He is truly a citizen of the world. Born in

Argentina, raised in Israel, travelling not just on their

passports but on Palestinian and Spanish documents as well. It is a

busy time of year for the players in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. I

was talking to one of those on stage today, Alina Pinchas. She was

playing on Christmas Day, and had a performance of the Nutcracker in the

morning and the evening. This is one of nine women on stage this year. It

may still be a small percentage but at least it is up on 12 months ago.

Maybe we'll be in double figures by 2015. There is controversy about the

dominance of male players in this orchestra.

The first encore. APPLAUSE The first encore by Johann

Strauss, a quick polka, Carriere. Josef showing off his love of horse

riding. Carriere is the fastest gait at which a horse can be ridden. A

work that had an unfortunate start. Its premiere at the Volksgarten, the

day after the Austrian northern Army had been decisive battle of the

Austro-Prussian war, hence the work got rather overlooked. This concert

shown on big screens in cafes and hotels across Vienna this morning. I

imagine the waiters in the cafes around the Musikverein casting a

final eye at the arrangements of cutlery and glasses ready for an

onslaught of hungry concert goers or musicians, rad for a glass of

Gruener Veliner to wash it down with. The Philharmonic Orchestra

stay in the Imperial Hotel, with a red carpet laid down for the maestro

to across this morning. -- to cross this morning.

MUSIC: "The Blue Danube Waltz op.314" by Johann Strauss

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE by the beautiful Blue Danube, the

official anthem of Vienna and Austria, played by the Vienna

Philharmonic, conducted by Daniel Barenboim. This New Year's Day.

Dance from Vienna State Ballet. We can all be part of this biggest ever

musical New Year's greet. Follow us on Twitter. We are nearly at the end

of this year's festivities. The performance is supported by Rolex.

And conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Shaking hands with members of the

orchestra. This is his second appearance conducting the New Year's

Day concert. And what charm and spirit he's brought to proceedings,

delighting the audience here, including his wife, Elena

Bashkirova, and his violinist son, is and I spotted Julie Andrews

earlier, who commentates for the Americans. If you fancy being in the

audience next year, for real, tickets cost between 30 and 940

euros. To get them you need to register.

MUSIC: "Radetzky March, op.228" by Johann Strauss Sr

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Daniel Barenboim shaking hands with

the Vienna Philharmonic in the Radetzky March by Strauss senior. If

you want to be here next year, you have until January 23rd to register

your details at the Vienna Philharmonic website. That's it for

this Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Day Concert. From me, Petroc

Trelawny, and all of us here in Vienna, happy new year and very best

wishes for 2014.