But first the year began in the now established manner. After seeing in the New Year with good friends Elizabeth and James at their place in the Fifth District of Vienna it w an easy journey home on the all night U-Bahn and a relatively early night at about 2 am. Then up again and out into the freezing, but sunny, weather to meet up with friends and colleagues at the Rathausplatz in the First District to watch the Vienna Philharmonica perform at the famous New Year's Day concert being held at the Musikverein only a mile or so away back around the Ringstrasse. The concert tickets are available only by ballot and cost a fortune. At the Rathausplatz you watch the event standing outside but on a big screen, and can eat pretzels etc and drink gluhwein and punsch with your mates all through the proceedings - It is a pretty good time.
The sound shell with the brass band - before the concert
At the end of the performance on the screen there is immediately another live show in the sound shell adjacent to the screen. A real old-style Austrian brass band plays Viennese music, starting with the Radetsky March of course . That piece is the tradiational ending of the main concert and it is always a crowd pleaser with lots of clapping along in time to the music. The crowd disperses slowly generally, apart from a few diehards who waltz their way around the 'platz. I went home to catch up on sleep!
