The summer night concert of the Vienna Philharmonic in the Schönbrunn Palace Park was once considered a guarantee for a rainy evening. Most recently, the performances were celebrated even when the weather was always warm, and on Thursday the showers had passed in time for the start. With dry feet, the top orchestra under the Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons put Europe’s musical heritage and cohesion at the center of the evening, which was attended by 65,000 visitors.
The concert evening is “completely devoted to respectful coexistence and peace”, underlined Philharmonic Board Member Daniel Froschauer at the beginning. The program selection also reflected the importance of Europe’s cultural ties. In times of war, for example, the waltz “Farewell” by the ancestor of Ukrainian music, Mykola Lysenko, was on the program – a bombastic farewell to the fin de siècle, which, given the current world situation, opened up further associative spaces.
But there were also sounds from Nelsons’ homeland, who debuted at the Summer Night Concert, taking the “Viennese” to Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Luxembourg, Brussels and Paris in June. The Philharmonic intoned a tango by the 64-year-old Latvian Arturs Maskats, including a Piazzolla-style bandoneon, making it perhaps the most exciting piece of the evening. Nelsons continued the open air with the motto “international understanding through music”.
Musical journey in all directions
But the journey went not just north and east—if not as far as Russia—but to the continent’s other cardinal points, starting with Beethoven’s “Leonore” overture, which was surprisingly delicate and reserved for an open-air concert. event sounded. Rossini’s overture to “La gazza ladra”, performed almost in a marching gesture, George Enescu’s “Romanian Rhapsody”, trained in folk music, and, last but not least, Camille Saint-Säens’ Cello Concerto No. 1 were also mixed in the pan-European dance.
“Impressive bravura, noble sound quality and elegance”
For the latter, the orchestra was supported by French star cellist Gautier Capuçon, who, according to the “Krone” review, “impressive bravado, noble sound quality and elegance”.
Significantly more visitors again
Traditionally, this musical festival for Europe radiated not only sparkling tones, but also thanks to the brilliant light show on the palace facade, which this year repeatedly bathed Schönbrunn in a kind of camouflage cloak. According to the organisers, some 65,000 classical music lovers were not deterred by the previous downpours and took advantage of the free entry to soak up the culture. That was less than in the record year 2018, when there were 104,500 guests – but of course significantly more than in the previous year, when the pandemic had to settle for a maximum of 3000.
The classic event was traditionally rebroadcast on ORF 2 with a 9:20 p.m. delay and on 3za from 9:45 p.m. The European dance in the castle park can still be found in the media libraries.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
