2011 Summer-night Concert from Vienna

Good evening and welcome

to the glorious Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna

on a warm, cloudy evening

for the summer concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Schonbrunn is the great monument in the rococo style,

created by the Habsburg monarchs

who built and developed this site over successive generations.

The concert will be conducted by Valery Gergiev

from the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg

and there will be contributions from the violinist Benjamin Schmid

and the Vienna State Opera Ballet.

The theme tonight is virtuoso paintings,

and there will certainly be virtuosity in abundance.

In the concert, there will be music from Sibelius, Paganini

and Mussorgsky, but we start with Les Preludes by Franz Liszt,

who was not only a virtuoso pianist

but a highly-accomplished composer for orchestra as well as the piano.

So, here is Valery Gergiev to conduct

the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Les Preludes by Franz Liszt.

APPLAUSE

Les Preludes by Franz Lizst,

with Valery Gergiev conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

in the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna.

As we've been seeing,

the gardens at Schonbrunn are exceptionally beautiful.

They're ringed by 32 statues representing various deities,

including the Neptune Well and the Sun Fountain.

But next up, we have Austrian home-grown virtuosic talent

in violinist Benjamin Schmid.

He's going to play the first movement

of the Violin Concerto No.1 by Paganini.

Paganini was a sensation in early-19th-century Europe,

and his music is still regarded

as some of the most technically difficult to play for any violinist.

APPLAUSE

Here he is, Benjamin Schmid, with conductor Valery Gergiev,

to play the first movement of Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1

in an arrangement by Fritz Kreisler.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The first movement of Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1

in an arrangement by Fritz Kreisler, played with great panache

by Austrian violinist Benjamin Schmid.

He was accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,

conducted by Valery Gergiev.

APPLAUSE CONTINUES

The reputation of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

is worldwide and the players have many friends in Japan.

Following the natural disaster there this year,

this next piece is a tribute to the people of Japan.

They're going to play Scenes With Cranes by Jean Sibelius,

the crane being a symbol of good luck and of long life in Japanese culture.

After that will be Pictures At An Exhibition

by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky,

orchestrated by Ravel,

and dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet

will bring the music to life in front of the Gloriette,

overlooking the palace of Schonbrunn.

So here is Valery Gergiev to conduct Scenes With Cranes by Sibelius.

Pictures At An Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky,

finishing with the imposing music for The Great Gate Of Kiev.

The dancers were members of the Vienna State Opera Ballet,

with choreography by Gregor Hatala,

who has been a soloist in the ballet company for 15 years.

Valery Gergiev conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

in the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna.

The leader of the orchestra is Rainer Kuchl,

who many of you might recognise from our regular transmission

of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day Concert.

Gergiev bringing various players to their feet

for their solo contributions.

But now, in the final sequence of tonight's concert,

the orchestra will first play an audience favourite,

Wiener Blut - Vienna Blood, or, loosely translated,

The Spirit Of Vienna, by Johann Strauss.

APPLAUSE

Valery Gergiev conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

in Wiener Blut, The Spirit Of Vienna by Johann Strauss.

And, waltzing their way through that,

the dancers of the Vienna State Opera Ballet.

I should think the orchestra knows pretty much every note

of that piece by heart, it's almost the Viennese anthem.

Finally, a piece that will send everyone home

with a spring in their step -

a sparkling polka, once again by Johann Strauss.

This is On The Banks Of The Danube.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And so, on a brilliant and lively note, with fireworks to match,

Strauss's polka On The Banks Of The Danube

brings to an end this summer evening concert

from the palace of Schonbrunn in Vienna.

The concert was played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,

the leader was Rainer Kuchl, the conductor Valery Gergiev,

who clearly has a very warm relationship with this orchestra.

Well, it has been a great evening.

The rainy weather has held off

and the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace have looked stunning.

From everyone in Vienna

and from me, Katie Derham, goodbye.

APPLAUSE

Subtitles by Red Bee Media

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