Tobias Wögerer led the RSO Vienna for the first time on January 1st in the Gmunden City Theater

A New Year’s concert of a completely different kind, which also marked an unofficial start to the year of the Capital of Culture, which starts in just under three weeks, was invited to the city theater in Gmunden on Monday. On the podium was the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, which was conducted for the first time that evening by Wilheringer conductor Tobias Wögerer. Together they found a way to ring in the New Year musically without pure Straussomania, which was no less exciting and in many cases also typically Austrian. Friedrich Cerha’s Viennese kaleidoscope, which the composer, who died last year, distilled from “Keintaten” and “Ein Art Chansons” in 2006 in 2006 and thus did not at all deny his own roots in traditional Viennese music, was presented as a common thread. Some things are new and yet familiar, but they are always skilfully alienated and refined with Viennese insults.

“Breakdown Polka” by Baldwin Sulzer

Balduin Sulzer may be said to have been an Upper Austrian slur, and so he cleverly mutated Johann Strauss’ famous Annenpolka into the “Pannenpolka”. Bernstein’s “Waltz” from his Divertimento is also anything but a waltz at seven eighths, and in his Suite for Variety Orchestra Shostakovich managed to turn a melody in a melancholic C minor into an absolute world waltz hit. Also fine are the two pieces (La Valse des Depeches and Quadrille) that Germaine Tailleferre contributed to Jean Cocteau’s ballet “Les mariés de la tour Eiffel” as a joint work by the Groupe des Six. It wasn’t possible without home-style dances, and so were Lehár’s “Ball Sirens” and “Without Worries!” by Josef Strauss Key points of the program that was not only finely programmed, but also skilfully moderated by the conductor and, above all, played with great enthusiasm and joy. With the posthumous “Ischler Waltz” by Johann Strauss, we came a little into the fold of the “big” New Year’s concert, because there too they paid homage to the year of the Capital of Culture with this work, but not with this verve and dance accuracy. Lots of applause for the RSO Vienna and the debutant at its desk, Tobias Wögerer.

Conclusion: We can also start the New Year without Strauss, Strauss, Strauss and Strauss…