A Sound Tradition. Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz
to the great moments of Philharmonic history, but also to those times when the musicians and their music were caught under the wheels of ideology and racist fanaticism.
The author accompanies us into the world of a Philharmonic player, starting with his/her audition, going through the experience of being in the orchestra pit of the opera and on the concert stage, up through the schedules and challenges of a Philharmonic year. Wagner-Trenkwitz shows us the world of the great conductors and lets us have a look behind the scenes of the Philharmonics’ everyday life with many a delectable story.
One of the special high points of the book is the chapter Sound and Tradition, in which the author takes a closer look at the mythic “Viennese Sound.” The mystery of this acoustic experience is based on many components: the particular instruments, the special approach to tone, the particular kind of vibrato, the requisite orientation to the human voice in sound and phrasing that comes from daily playing at the opera and much more. The special ingredients of their success are the trust that the musicians have in one another and their familial spirit, which in the end are the guarantors of that special sound attested to by many and on which the orchestra’s fame is based.
On the occasion of such a special birthday, it is incumbent on us to remember the beginnings. Whoever knows the principles of our founding fathers, who created the orchestra’s standard of highest artistic quality, its democratic structure and sense of humanitarian responsibility, will understand why we feel bound to honor this tradition. But tradition remains alive only through innovation, and this is true both for its social responsibility and its artistic focus. Thus the book points out the thorough reappraisal of the orchestra’s recent history, the artists’ social responsibility regarding the pressing problems of our time, local and global initiatives for peace and international understanding, the equal treatment of men and women in the artists’ collective, responsibility in creating programs with regard to contemporary music, the international recruitment of the next generation of musicians, and cultural education projects. Numerous activities of this kind show that the Vienna Philharmonic is, in the 21st century as well, an orchestra “that never sleeps.”
Andreas Großbauer
Initiator of the book and
Chair of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
in the Jubilee Year 2017
Greetings
The Vienna Philharmonic was founded in 1842. On the other side of the Atlantic, in the same year, without any coordination or consultation, the New York Philharmonic was also founded.
So both orchestras are celebrating their 175th birthdays this year (2017) and have had a close and friendly relationship for a long time—but not exactly since their founding. On March 28, 2017, there was a memorable birthday party for the Vienna Philharmonic at the Haus der Musik in Vienna (with representatives from New York in attendance) under the motto “Music knows no borders.”
That is truly an apt motto. For music, which is not bound to language and which expresses every emotion, feeling, and thought common to mankind, indeed knows no borders.
In a speech I gave at this birthday party, I said that the music of Mozart or Beethoven, and of many, many other composers as well as their interpretations effortlessly crossed the borders into over 200 countries of this world. And more than a few of these “musical border crossings” have had their beginnings in Vienna, in Austria, and with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Now a birthday party is a wonderful event; but it is just a “snapshot.” For the date of a birthday slowly approaches, we look forward to it, one day it finally arrives, but in a very short time it is behind us again and is gone.
As opposed to that, a book is something lasting, something that one can pick up again and again, can give to someone else, and will have its fixed place on the bookshelf.
Admittedly, there have been excellent books, based on the latest research, that have been written about the Vienna Philharmonic in the last few years. I am especially referring to the standard works of Clemens Hellsberg (1992) and Christian Merlin (2017).
But the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is an almost inexhaustible topic, and so I was very pleased to hear that Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz, as an outstanding expert on the music scene in general and the Vienna Philharmonic in particular, has taken his pen or keyboard in hand to write about “the Orchestra that never sleeps” on the occasion of the 175-year Jubilee of the Vienna Philharmonic.
Emperor Charles V. reigned, as we know, over an empire on which the sun never set. When we consider the fact that the Vienna Philharmonic gave 49 concerts abroad in the 2015/16 season alone and were on the move giving these concerts from Japan to the US and from Sweden to Australia, then we can truly say that the Philharmonic members are probably active all the times of the day (Central European time) and thus “never sleep.”
And the best part is that the Vienna Philharmonic in the aforesaid period may have given 49 concerts abroad, but also 89 (!) concerts in Austria, and every single one of them at the highest standard.
I am proud of the Vienna Philharmonic and I wish this book, being published for the 175th Jubilee of this great orchestra, the greatest success.
Dr. Heinz Fischer
Bundespräsident (ret.) and
Patron of the Vienna Philharmonic
The Vienna Philharmonic Society
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is known worldwide for its superb musicianship and unique sound. What is perhaps not as well known is that the Orchestra has a beautiful soul. Whether it is teaching children to play a violin, providing a safe haven for refugees to begin a new life or participating in the observance of a tragic event that must never recur— you will find the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra leading the efforts to help, heal and herald new beginnings.
The Vienna Philharmonic Society was founded in 2016 to help the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra bring its glorious music more often and to more cities across the United States. The Society is also bringing the values and ideals of this remarkable Orchestra to this country. A program of music education has already begun in New York for both public school children as well as advanced students in the music conservatories. That special Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra combination of musical magic and caring has been transplanted to the United States.
It is very moving to see such a talented group of musicians care so much about the problems of the men, women and children around them. Through its music and their strong philanthropy, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra makes a difference in many lives whether in Vienna, New York or Tokyo.
We invite you to join us as author Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz brings to life the history and personalities of the Orchestra as it celebrates its 175th birthday. The English translation from the German original is provided by our board member John Hargraves.
Marifé Hernández
Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic Society
New York, October 2017
THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY
Board of Directors
| Michael G. Douglas | Elizabeth Ingleby |
| William D. Forster | Nizam Kettaneh |
| John Hargraves | Cynthia Sculco |
| Max Jahn | Theodora Simons |
www.viennaphilharmonicsociety.org