With nearly five hundred waltzes, marches, quadrilles, polkas and so on in Johann Strauss’ son’s repertoire, it is no wonder that the world-famous Vienna New Year’s Concert - conducted on the 1st January by Riccardo Muti, who is no newcomer to the event since he has led the orchestra in 1993, 1997 2000 and 2004 - still finds new pieces for their “New Year’s Concert creations”. This year, it’s Brautschau op. 417 and Myrthenblüten op. 395. Further novelties come from the Viennese cirlce: father Johann Strauss, with Marienwalzer and Wilhelm-Tell-Galopp, Alfons Czibulka (1842–1894) who kicks off the New Year with Stephanie-Gavotte, as well as a work from Josef Strauss, Wiener Fresken. And of course, as tradition goes, we find The Blue Danube and the inevitable Radetzky March to which the audience applauds in rhythm. By the way, this comes from J. Strauss the father, not from his more famous son. In fact, the concert version is actually an arrangement, very common nowadays, thanks to a certain Leopold Weninger. We would like to add that Harnoncourt performed two versions in 2001, Strauss’ version for the military brass band and Weninger’s version for symphony orchestra, and then again in 2005 in memory of the victims of the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean where the march was not played due to its overly festive nature. © SM/Qobuz