NOSPR / Karen Kamensek / New Year morning - NOSPR

The tradition of Viennese New Year’s galas goes back to 1838, the Musikverein matinée however, which starts at 11.15 and is filled mainly with the music of the Strauss family, originates from a much later and much darker period. It was first organized by an Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss greatly helped by a Nazi Gauleiter of Vienna, Baldur von Schirach, in the morning of New Year’s Eve 1939, to boost morale of the troops. Modest at first war-time programme has gradually grown to an over two-and-a half-hour fete, which since 1959 has been broadcast by radio and TV stations all over the world. It did not take long to see the followers of the idea. Today no self-respecting orchestra resists the temptation to welcome New Year with a matinée held in its own concert hall. In Katowice not only music by The Strauss will be heard but also an overture to Offenbach’s Orpheus in Hell, a delightful parody of orphic opera seria, Odzemek, Skočná and Špacírka from all music lovers’ favorite Slavonic Dances by Dvořák, as well as a suite of Spanish Dances from Le Cid, a little-known (sadly) opera by Massenet. It will be a more interesting and a less formal concert than in Vienna, and even more so as the conductor will be a woman – Karen Kamensek, an American who won a Laurence Olivier Award for Echnaton by Glass in English National Opera. Musikverein has not seen anything like this yet! Happy New Year full of wonderful music!