Ludwig von Beethoven. Piano concerto No. 5
Soloist:
Rudolf Buchbinder (piano)
Otto Nicolai. Arias from the opera Die lustigen Weiber
von Windsor
Soloist: Ildico Raimondi (soprano)
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Serenade for string orchestra
Conductor:
Valery Gergiev
One of the world’s oldest musical ensembles, the Wiener Philharmoniker was
founded in 1842 by the Prussian composer Otto Nicolai. Nicolai in fact formed
the Philharmonische Akademie with its unique charter, in accordance with which
the orchestra was completely independent, and all important decisions were taken
via a democratic vote of those involved. Like the Ancient Greeks, the
philharmonic’s musicians always took pride in their democratic system of
management, and when talks began concerning the construction of a new home for
the orchestra, meaning the Musikverein, Vienna’s temple of music to-be, they
invited Theophil Hansen, the leading Danish ideologist of the age and proponent
of Greek culture, in order that he might build something akin to Athens’
Parthenon in Vienna. Opened in 1870, the Musikverein became the orchestra’s base
as well as being the largest and most beautiful concert hall in the world.
It is important that the philharmonic’s musicians have been able to defend
the democratic principles established almost one hundred and seventy years ago,
which remain intact to the present day. Rules governing membership of the
Society of Friends of Music and regulations concerning a season’s guest
conductors and individual concerts may have changed, but neither adversity or
misfortune could impel the freedom-loving musicians to search for a “fuehrer”
(or a tyrant in their independent view) who could protect them if the case
arose. Until 1933 the post of First Conductor was retained – and nominally
this musician was considered the orchestra’s director (the list of great names
includes Karl Anton Eckert, Karl Richter, Gustav Mahler, Felix von Weingartner,
Wilhelm Furtwдngler and Clemens Krauss) – albeit with seriously limited
powers, and then began the age of guest conductors. Renowned “guests” of the
past have included many highly acclaimed 20th century musicians,
among them von Karajan, Bernstein and Bцhm.
Since 1941 the Wiener Philharmoniker has performed a New Year concert at the
Musikverein where a maestro selected in advance by the musicians conducts music
composed by the Strauss family. This is the very concert that has, for the past
ten years, been broadcast throughout the world on TV and which is invariably
discussed at length by music lovers.
In July and August the philharmonic’s musicians travel to Mozart’s hometown
of Salzburg where they perform as the resident orchestra of the Salzburg
Festival.
It is not easy to become a musician with this renowned orchestra: first there
are auditions for the Wiener Staatsoper, where musicians must then play for
three years, and only after that may they apply to join the Musikverein.
Membership of the Verein does not guarantee the right to perform in the
orchestra, but it is a “Purgatory” from where the select luck ones will enter
Paradise (as well as status the musicians receive serious financial guarantees).
There are legends about the philharmonic’s musicians, such as they know every
piece of music ever written from their school years and that they never
rehearse. It is hard to believe this, but in any legend there is always a grain
of truth. In any case, the orchestra’s repertoire hobbyhorse is Austrian music
from all ages, including the New Viennese and minimalists from all types.The
Wiener Philharmoniker first appeared at the Stars of the White Nights
festival in 2003, coinciding with St Petersburg’s tercentenary celebrations
and performing at the Mariinsky Theatre under the baton of Valery Gergiev.
Yekaterina Belyaeva