THE FIRST CONCERT OF THE NEWLY FOUNDED JOHANN STRAUSS SOCIETY’S „KONZERTSCHRAMMELN WIEN“ – November 2023
The second ensemble of the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna
By founding the Classical Operetta Ensemble in 1996 Peter Widholz ensured that the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna had its own ensemble of singers, which enormously relieved the organisation of its numerous performances. Peter Widholz is still its artistic director and fully responsible for its activities.
In 2023 Peter Widholz founded an instrumental ensemble as well, called the Johann Strauss Society’s „ Konzertschrammeln Wien“. Since that time the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna has been able to produce its own performances of instrumental music in an authentic interpretation.
The ensemble made its first appearance, when the Golden Johann Strauss Award was given to Eliette von Karajan on 23rd October 2023 in the presence of a great number of celebrities and representatives of the media. They played the waltz „Wiener Blut“ and the fast polka „Leichtes Blut“ ( cf. the report in „The Golden Johann Strauss Award 2023).
The first performance of the Johann Strauss Society’s Konzertschrammeln Wien took place in the great ballroom of the Grand Hotel Vienna on 11th November 2023. Peter Widholz, the founder of the ensemble, took part as vocal soloist and presenter.
The focus of the performance was on the 150th anniversary of the premiere of the waltz „Wiener Blut“. The programme also included pieces of the same genre which were interesting from the musico-historical point of view. Peter Widholz explained to the audience the connections between them and added many valuable details. To commemorate the 125th anniversary of Carl Zeller’s death, excerpts from his operettas were also part of the programme.
The performance was booked out and the audence applauded loudly and called for an encore. Thus Barinkay’s entrance song from the operetta „ Der Zigeunerbaron“ and the „Radetzkymarsch“ completed the performance.
A camera team of the TV Channel YU PLANET TV was on site and recorded the performance, which was broadcasted shortly afterwards (please click on the following link):
