Summer Night Concert at Schönbrunn: Premieres, Commemorations, and a Musical Journey
The idyllic Schönbrunn Palace will be the venue for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's annual Summer Night Concert this evening. Under a bright blue sky and against the majestic backdrop of the illuminated palace, thousands of music lovers gathered to enjoy an evening full of musical highlights. This year's concert featured numerous premieres, a touching minute of silence, and a musical journey across Europe.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's annual Summer Night Concert is taking place today in Schönbrunn. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de [CC BY-SA 3.0 de (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en)]
This year's concert will have a special touch with the debut of Russian conductor Tugan Sokhiev, who will be conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time at the Summer Night Concert. Polish opera singer Piotr Beczała will also make his debut as a soloist, delighting the audience with three arias from Georges Bizet's “Carmen,” Giacomo Puccini's “Turandot,” and Emmerich Kálmán's operetta “Countess Mariza.” Another new feature is the performance by the Vienna Boys' Choir, who will enchant the audience with, among other things, the elf choir “Komm' zu uns und sing' und tanze” from Offenbach's “Rheinnixen.”
The concert evening will begin with Johann Sebastian Bach's expressive composition “Air,” followed by a deeply moving minute of silence in memory of the victims of the rampage in Graz. The originally planned opening piece, Jacques Offenbach's dance “Cancan,” will not be performed out of respect for the victims.
“Of Dances and Passions”: A Musical Odyssey
Under the motto “Of Dances and Passions,” the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra offers a diverse selection of works. The musical arc spans from Antonín Dvořák's first Slavic Dance to Hector Berlioz's Hungarian March and Edvard Grieg's “Morning Mood” from the Peer Gynt Suites. A special highlight will be the overture to Otto Nicolai's opera “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” which is dedicated to the House of Music in the first district. The renowned museum is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and is home to the place where Nicolai founded the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 1842. The festive finale will be traditionally the Viennese waltz by Johann Strauss Jr., whose 200th birthday is being celebrated in style this year.
Impressive backdrop and global appeal
The magical atmosphere between the illuminated Schönbrunn Palace and the Gloriette attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. The Summer Night Concert is a musical gift to the audience and offers free admission. Access to the standing room was exclusive via the Hietzinger and Meidlinger gates (doors open at 5:00 p.m.) and the concert starts at 8:45 p.m.
Every year, the concert reaches an audience of millions via live streams and is broadcast on television in over 80 countries around the world, underscoring the global significance of this annual musical event.
The organizers once again advised visitors to use public transportation to get there and emphasized the need to keep escape routes clear. Therefore, picnic blankets, strollers, chairs, and animals are not permitted. Bags and backpacks may not exceed A4 size, and drinks are prohibited except for half-liter PET bottles or Tetra Paks containing non-alcoholic beverages.