the essential
The Valencian Harmony invites you to its New Year’s concert. Accompanied by talented dancers, singers and musicians, the conductors promise a memorable evening, paying tribute to Johann Strauss.
It is on Sunday January 26 at 4 p.m., under the Jean-Baylet hall, that the Harmonie valencienne will meet for its traditional New Year’s concert. This event, impatiently awaited, will close the festivities of the month of January in the most beautiful way possible: in music!
Accompanied by the Ten’Danse dance school of the community of communes of Deux-Rives, the singers of the Deux-Rives music school, as well as the prestigious professional ballet “Marfif Ballet”, the musicians of La Lyre have prepared a program rich in exceptional musical works. And when we think of a New Year’s concert, it’s hard not to think of the one in Vienna, which has enchanted the world for eighty-five years every morning of the first day of the year.
If the works of the Strauss dynasty traditionally occupy an important place in the Viennese repertoire, it is also customary to include various composers.
This year, for the first time, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the emblematic Riccardo Muti, even included a female composer in its program. A notable advance! Following this example of diversity, our Valencian chefs Pierre Baldassare and Fabien Carrouché will offer an eclectic program while honoring the Strausses, in particular Johann Strauss II, whose bicentenary of birth we are celebrating this year.
From the tavern to the court of Vienna
The Strausses form a large family of musicians. Johann Strauss father, from a line of tavern keepers, learned the violin from a very young age. After joining an orchestra, he became its conductor, before starting to compose waltzes. His talent and ambition led him to occupy the prestigious position of director of the balls of the Austrian Court. He thus lays the foundations of an exceptional musical dynasty.
His eldest son, Johann Strauss II, also chose the artistic path. His dazzling career will take him to the biggest European capitals, as far as the United States and Russia. His younger brothers, Josef and Eduard, also made names for themselves as composers and conductors, cementing the idea of a dynasty. However, the rivalry between the father and the eldest, exacerbated by the latter’s global success, will nuance this harmonious image. Johann Strauss II is today considered one of the greatest composers of light classical music of all time. Valencian conductors and their musicians will be keen to live up to this prestigious heritage. They promise a vibrant and inspired interpretation, paying homage to the genius of Strauss and his timeless work.
Practical information
Tickets are available for sale on the community ticket office website or directly at the Valence-d’Agen tourist office. The placement is numbered. A refreshment bar will be available during the intermission to allow spectators to extend the experience in a friendly atmosphere.
