Go on New Year’s Eve with Hugh Bonneville while hosting the annual PBS broadcast from the Musikverein in Austria. It premieres on Wednesday, January 1, 2021 at 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm on PBS (see local listings). The broadcast will be available for broadcast the next day pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video application.
Synopsis
As the world welcomes a new decade, Great performances the tradition of playing the New Year with the Vienna Philharmonic at the famous Vienna Musikverein continues. Under the baton of the treasure GRAMMY Award-winning guest conductor and music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, the concert highlights the talent of the Vienna State Ballet and the Vienna Philharmonic with beloved waltzes by Strauss and more. Favorite of PBS Hugh Bonneville (Masterpiece: Downton Abbey) returns as host for the third year, touring the Musikverein archives, which contain the largest collection of Beethoven manuscripts in the world, the Beethoven Museum and other sites associated with the legendary composer in honor of his 250th anniversary (December 17, 2021).
The Vienna Philharmonic performs approximately 40 concerts in Vienna annually, including the New Year’s Eve concert and the Schönbrunn summer night concert, which are broadcast in many countries around the world.
Availability of broadcast and transmission
Great performances – From Vienna: the celebration of the new year 2021 premieres on Wednesday, January 1, 2021 at 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm on PBS (see local listings). The broadcast will be available for broadcast the next day at pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video application.
Music selections
Franz von Suppé – Light cavalry opening
Josef Strauss – Polka Cupid
Johann Strauss (Jr.) – Hug, millions!, Vals
Edward Strauss – Frost flower, Polka
Josef Hellmesberger (Jr.) – Gavotte
Hans Christian Lumbye – Carter Gallop
Ludwig van Beethoven – Selections of Contredanses
Johann Strauss (Jr.) – Enjoy life, Vals
Johann Strauss (Jr.) – Chit-chat, Polka
Josef Strauss – Dynamiden, Vals
Bisos
Johann Strauss (Jr.) –The beautiful Blue Danube, Vals
Johann Strauss (Sr.) – Radetzky March
Production credits
From Vienna: the celebration of the New Year 2021 is a production of Wiener Philharmoniker and ORF in partnership with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. To Great performances, John Walker and Richard R. Schilling are producers; Bill O’Donnell is a series producer; David Horn is executive producer.
Subscribers
Significant funding for Great performances is provided by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, Rosalind P. Walter, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Seton J. Melvin, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Starr, The Phillip and Janice Levin Foundation, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus and PBS. Rolex provides exclusive corporate assistance for the concert.
Series overview:
Throughout its more than 40-year history on PBS, Great performances has provided viewers across the country with an incomparable showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring cultural programming broadcaster. The series is available to play simultaneously on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast. Members of the PBS station can watch the episodes via Passport (contact your local PBS station for more information). Great performances is produced by THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.
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