Great Performances

-Hello everyone, I'm Hugh Bonneville, wishing you a happy New Year from the heart of Imperial Vienna, the Hofburg Palace.

As tradition dictates, today, the Musikverein is filled with the music of Austria's Waltz King Johann Strauss.

Maestro Yannick Nzet-Sguin leads the Vienna Philharmonic here in the Golden Hall, as the Vienna State Ballet captures the spirit of the waltz in one of the capital's princely houses.

So join us from Vienna.

The New Year's Celebration 2026 is next on Great Performances.

[ Instruments tuning ] -Happy New Year.

I'm Hugh Bonneville, delighted to be back in this magnificent hall and to welcome you for this festive holiday concert.

Here in the Musikverein, we and the Vienna Philharmonic are awaiting the entrance of Yannick Nzet-Sguin.

It's the maestro's debut conducting the concert, but his artistic collaboration with the orchestra spans more than 15 years in Vienna, Salzburg, and on tour.

He's well known to "Great Performances" fans, of course, as music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as well as principal conductor of both the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Orchestre Mtropolitain in Montreal.

But enough.

It's time for some music.

And what better way to begin than with an overture from the man considered to be the father of Viennese operetta, Franz von Supp.

It's the opening to "The Beautiful Galatea."

[ Cheers and applause ] -For 25 years, this venerable old palace, where the Vienna Philharmonic was founded in 1842, has been known as the House of Music.

The Philharmonic's archives are kept here, and treasures of the ensemble are on display today.

Why, you can even have a go at conducting the orchestra.

This is a hands-on museum with interactive exhibits exploring the varied aspects of sound and displays showcasing the lives of Vienna's greatest composers.

Brand new is this one of none other than the Waltz King himself, Johann Strauss, the first of five children of a renowned bandleader and composer, he and his two brothers, Josef and Edouard, turned the waltz into an international sensation.

Well known to the Waltz King was the violinist and pianist Josephine Weinlich, who at the age of 20, made history when she founded the New Vienna Women's Orchestra.

On the stage of Dreher's Beer Hall, no less, conducting the eight ladies from her seat at the piano.

Performances throughout Europe and Russia followed, culminating in a tour to 42 cities in America.

The repertoire of this well-traveled orchestra consisted of works by Johann Strauss Jr, overtures and potpourri from operas as well as original compositions such as this next piece, her "Siren Songs."

[ Cheers and applause ] -At 5.3 8,000,000 square feet, or about the size of Vatican City, the Hofburg ranks as one of the largest palaces in Europe, second only to the Louvre in Paris with 2,600 rooms, 18 wings, 54 staircases, and 19 courtyards, the complex includes the Spanish Riding School and stables, the National Library, two churches, including the chapel where the Vienna Boys Choir has sung for 525 years, Imperial apartments, museums, and even to this day, governmental offices.

It was from here that the Habsburgs reigned from the 13th century, first as rulers of the Austrian archduchy, then from 1452 as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and finally as Emperors of Austria from 1806 until the end of the monarchy in 1918.

Now, every palace needs a ballroom, and the Hofburg has several.

Just off this winter garden where dancers would retreat to cool off is the sparkling ceremonial hall.

It did double duty as the palace throne room.

A half century earlier, Empress Maria Theresa had already converted her in-house opera theater into a more usable and immense multi-purpose space that she called her masked ballroom, where works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Liszt were premiered.

And it's where our next piece of music was first performed.

Johann's brother Josef composed a waltz for the 1870 Law Students Ball.

As a champion of women's rights, Josef wanted to remind the students of their duty to protect the dignity of women.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Then as now, mastering the art of diplomacy could be quite tricky.

The initial audience of a newly accredited foreign ambassador at court followed strict protocol.

In a state coach drawn by six Lipizzaner horses, an imperial chamberlain would collect the ambassador, driving him directly into the innermost courtyard of the palace, the Swiss Court.

Alighting at the foot of the ambassador's staircase, the high ranking visitor was escorted upstairs, lined with the imperial life-guards, past the statue of Jason and Medea through multiple chambers to where the Grand Master of Ceremonies was waiting.

The Grand Master then led the ambassador to the Privy Council Room, where the Grand Chamberlain, who had exclusive access to the private quarters of the monarch, would advance to exactly midway across the room and receive the visitor.

After an exchange of formal greetings, the Grand Chamberlain proceeded alone into the ceremonial hall where the Emperor was waiting.

Announcing the envoy's arrival, the double doors opened and, bowing three times, the ambassador finally advanced to meet the Emperor.

Quite a performance.

Today, principal dancers from the Vienna State Ballet give us their take on a diplomat's nerve wracking journey.

-And just like the dancers from the Vienna State Ballet, we find ourselves here in the Grand Ceremonial Hall.

It was created to impress, with its ornate ceiling, 24 Corinthian columns, and 26 crystal chandeliers.

Built at the dawn of the 19th century by Franz the First, the last Holy Roman Emperor, it was here that Napoleon's ambassador asked Franz for the hand of his daughter, Archduchess Marie Louise, in 1810.

You remember the recent theft from the Louvre?

The stolen emerald necklace and earrings had been Napoleon's wedding gift to her.

After his fall, she kept the jewels.

This splendid hall was used as audience chamber, throne room, and ballroom, but only for the annual ball at court.

That ball, reserved exclusively for the high aristocracy, was the climax of the social season for Vienna's top 700.

Beginning in 1863, it was conducted by the newly appointed court ball director Johann Strauss.

By the end of the century, his music and fame had spread around the world, with his waltz tunes influencing composers and musicians high and low, from church hymns to honky-tonk burlesques, in opera houses, concert halls, and parlors, three quarter time held sway.

In America in 1933, Florence Price would become the first African American woman to have her music performed by a major orchestra, the Chicago Symphony.

All but forgotten until a stash of her manuscripts was discovered earlier this century.

Her music is having a resurgence at present, including this next piece, her charming rainbow Waltz.

[ Cheers and applause ] -At the end of the 19th century, the great modernist architect Otto Wagner was commissioned to design Vienna's transit system.

For the emperor, he constructed a station just across from His Majesty's Summer Palace of Schnbrunn.

The interior was designed to reflect the monarch's position, which meant the architect could justify the rich decor as functional.

The Imperial Waiting Room boasts gilded mahogany paneling, richly embroidered walls and a flowered Deco carpet.

The painting is a view of Vienna from a hot air balloon high above the palace gardens.

A private stairway leads down to the tracks, and since the Emperor was forced to use the public platform, Wagner's plans included a red velvet canopy, thus clearly separating the monarch from the general public.

Though Franz Josef used his imperial station exactly twice, the pavilion remains a significant example of early modern architecture in Vienna.

Railroads dramatically transformed 19th century life, rapidly moving people and goods across vast distances.

Popular composers of the day captured the rhythm and power of the engines in spirited polkas and gallops like this one by the Danish composer Hans Christian Lumbye, dubbed the Strauss of the North.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Well, well, as you can see, the table is perfectly set.

Three times a week, the Emperor hosted official dinners to which around 30 guests were invited, mostly men from the nobility, the armed forces, and from the world of finance.

Dinner began promptly at six and lasted only 40 to 45 minutes.

Once all the guests had arrived, the emperor appeared and everyone proceeded to the dining table.

Franz Joseph took his place at the center with his guest of honor sitting opposite him.

Service was prompt and discreet.

Diners were served all at once, as there was one footman for every two guests.

Formal meals began with bouillon, followed by oysters, salad, fish, and meat, and the meal concluded with dessert and cheese.

Now, as a rule, there were 7 to 13 courses, and French cuisine was preferred.

All in three quarters of an hour.

Wow.

No less extravagant than the beautiful flowers today in the Musikverein, arranged for us by the florists and gardeners from Vienna City Gardens, would have been the roses in this centerpiece.

In winter, they would have been shipped up from sunny Italy.

Johann Strauss dedicated his new "Roses from the South Waltz" to Italy's dashing king Umberto, who Franz Josef hosted here in the Hofburg.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Soloists of the Vienna State Ballet waltzed to Johann Strauss's "Roses from the South" in Austria's Museum of Applied Arts, the MAK.

The institution brings together applied arts, design, architecture, and art from throughout the ages.

Here in the museum's library, the choreographer John Neumeier and the costume designer Albert Kriemler of Akris were inspired by this historic Vienna Rose porcelain tea set to create the gowns in the waltz.

This priceless ensemble was in production from 1751 to '75, under the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, at her imperial porcelain manufactory.

In 1864, as the 150 year old company, the second oldest in Europe, was closing down, all the original drawings, designs, porcelains, molds, and inventory passed into the collections of the newly established MAK.

The opening of the Suez Canal 155 years ago created considerable interest in Egyptian arts and design, and in Vienna it gave rise to a burlesque entitled "Into Egypt."

One can only imagine the finale, which began with the processional march of Pharaoh's warriors, to the sinuous themes of Johann Strauss's new "Egyptian March."

La la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la [ Cheers and applause ] -Emperor Franz Joseph gave general audiences twice a week at which his empire's subjects could present a matter of their concern, thank the monarch for an award bestowed, or plead for clemency.

Gentlemen wore either uniform or tailcoat.

Ladies, a black dress with a train.

Even into his old age, Franz Joseph received around 100 people on any one morning, amounting to some 260,000 individuals over the course of his long reign.

The Emperor acknowledged the petitioners from this lectern.

As a rule, audiences were brief, lasting only a few minutes and ending with a slight inclination of the head.

Petitioners awaiting their turn gathered here in the adjoining chamber, decorated with three monumental paintings of Franz Joseph's grandfather, Emperor Franz.

This one depicts Franz's triumphant return to Vienna following the Napoleonic Wars.

Not all wars ended as happily for the monarchy.

To restore peace, in 1866, Franz Joseph was forced to cede territory to both Prussia and Italy in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War.

Josef Strauss reflected the end of the strife in his waltz "Palms of Peace."

[ Cheers and applause ] -Joseph Strauss's "Palms of Peace Waltz" concludes the program here in the Golden Hall.

Now let's get on to our encores.

Tradition demands three.

You already know the last two, but first is a lively piece by Philip Farber Junior, a contemporary of the Waltz King whose father had performed in Strauss Sr's orchestras.

So, ladies and gentlemen, get set as today under the big top here in the Musikverein, our ringmaster, Yannick Nzet-Sguin, cracks his whip to Philip Faber Junior's "Circus Polka."

[ Cheers and applause ] -The Habsburgs long used precious insignia and jewels, crowns, tiaras, diadems, necklaces and the like to demonstrate their position as one of Europe's most powerful dynasties.

In secure vaults beside the Hofburg Chapel lies the Imperial Treasury, Vienna, home of the most important collection of the medieval royal objects and jewels of the Holy Roman Empire.

On display are the Imperial cross holding a piece of the True Cross and the Holy Lance, as well as the treasures of the order of the Golden Fleece.

Priceless gems, including the world's largest cut emerald.

Bear witness to the Habsburgs power.

Two items were considered to be so rare that they were declared inalienable heirlooms of the House of Austria, never to be sold.

A unicorn's horn, actually a giant narwhal tooth, and the legendary Holy Grail, an agate bowl from late antiquity.

One of the greatest treasures housed here is the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire, made of gold, enamel, pearls and precious stones.

It was originally thought to have belonged to Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, and served for centuries as the coronation crown until the empire was dissolved in 1804.

As that crown was only used for coronations, one simply needed another of one's own for everyday use.

The crown of Emperor Rudolf II from 1602 was considered so precious that it was never melted down, and in 1804, with Emperor Franz, it became the crown of the Austrian Empire.

Encrusted with pearls and diamonds, the giant azure sapphire at its peak represents heaven.

Another blue precious to Austrians today is, of course, that of the beloved "Blue Danube Waltz."

[ Audience applauding ] [ Laughter ] -With peace comes kindness.

Or should I say, only with kindness comes peace.

So I wish also all of us kindness in our heart, kindness towards one another, kindness in accepting each other's differences and celebrating them.

Music can unite all of us because we live on the same planet.

[ Applause ] [ Speaking global language ] [ Audience applauding ] [ Cheers and applause ] -Yannick Nzet-Sguin and the Vienna Philharmonic have sent their New Year's greetings of hope, friendship, and peace to the world with the Blue Danube Waltz.

So, maestro, let's launch the New year in Vienna.

I'm Hugh Bonneville, wishing you and yours a joyous and healthy 2026.

[ Applause continues ] -To find out more about this and other "Great Performances" programs, visit pbs.org/greatperformances and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

[ Cheers and applause ]