Sony Classical Releases The 2015 New Year's Concert With The Vienna Philharmonic & Zubin Mehta

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of the recording of one of the world's most famous classical music events: the 2015 New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic. One of the most distinguished conductors of our time, Zubin Mehta, returns to direct the 2015 concert, having already done so four times previously. On January 9, 2015, the live recording will be available exclusively at Amazon.com and ArkivMusic.com and as a download through all major digital service providers.  The CD will be released nationwide on January 20.  The DVD and Blu-ray will be available on February 3.   

The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is one of the world's longest-standing and most prestigious music events. In a history covering more than 70 years, many famous conductors have conducted the concert, and over 50 million people in more than 80 countries enjoy the live broadcasts on TV. In 2015 the concert will be directed by one of the most distinguished conductors, Zubin Mehta.

On New Year's Day, from the legendary venue of Vienna's flower-filled Musikverein, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra presents a heart-warming program drawn mainly from the waltzes and polkas of the Strauss dynasty – Johann father and son, as well as Josef and Eduard Strauss – and their contemporaries. The proven formula blends old favourites with less-known works that have never been performed before at the New Year´s Concert. In 2015 these traditions continue, but there is one significant break with the past: the programme, previously a closely guarded secret until a few days before the event, has already been announced.

This year works by the Strauss family, five of which are premieres at the New Year's Concert, are complemented by Franz von Suppé's overture "Morning, Midday, Evening in Vienna" and the "Champagne Gallop" by Hans Christian Lumbye. The works performed for the first time are the waltz "On the Elbe" and the "Student Polka" by Johann Strauss the Younger, his father's "Freedom March", and one polka each by Josef Strauss ("Viennese Life") and Eduard Strauss ("Where One Laughs and Lives"). The annual concert is inconceivable without two pieces that always number among the encores (not included in the list of tracks below): the "Blue Danube Waltz" by Johann Strauss the Younger, and his father's "Radetzky March". 

Zubin Mehta is no stranger to audiences at the New Year's Concert. In the words of the official announcement by the Vienna Philharmonic, "In the course of our 53-year artistic collaboration, which has long since developed into a close personal friendship, Zubin Mehta has conducted the New Year's Concert four times (1990, 1995, 1998, 2007). With this new invitation, the orchestra pays tribute not only to one of the leading conductors of our time, but also to the great humanist, Zubin Mehta."

Born in 1936 in India, Zubin Mehta completed his musical education in Vienna under Hans Swarovsky at the Music Academy. Vienna was the city where he made his conducting debut in 1958, and in 1961 Mehta took the baton for his first concert with the Vienna Philharmonic. Following many years as director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and later the New York Philharmonic, he now fills various roles including musical director for life of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and chief conductor of the Maggio Musicale festival in Florence. In 2001 he was awarded honorary membership of the Vienna Philharmonic after 40 years of artistic collaboration that make him the orchestra's longest serving conductor.

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra goes back to 1842, when Otto Nicolai conducted a Grand Concert with all members of the imperial court opera. This event is regarded as the origin of the orchestra. Since its founding the orchestra has been managed by a democratically elected administrative committee and works with artistic, organisational and financial autonomy. In the 20th century the Vienna Philharmonic had important artistic collaborations with Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanini, Wilhelm Furtwängler and – after 1945 – with honorary conductors Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan. The orchestra has performed approximately 7000 concerts on all five continents since its creation, and has presented Vienna Philharmonic Weeks in New York since 1989 and in Japan since 1993.

The tradition of the New Year's Concert began in 1939. Its first conductor, Clemens Krauss, was succeeded in 1955 by Willi Boskovsky, who conducted this event 25 times until 1979. The list of conductors who have led the New Year's Concert since then is a who's who of maestros. In 1959 it was broadcast live on television for the first time.

Sony Masterworks comprises, Masterworks, Okeh, Portrait, Sony Classical, RCA Red Seal, and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMasterworks.com.

TRACK LISTING:

Franz von Suppé  
Overture 
Ein Morgen, ein Mittag, ein Abend in Wien

Johann Strauss the Younger
Märchen aus dem Orient. Waltz, op. 444

Josef Strauss
Wiener Leben. Polka francaise, op. 218 *

Eduard Strauss
Wo man lacht und lebt.  Polka schnell, op. 108 *

Josef Strauss
Dorfschwalben aus Österreich. Waltz, op. 164

Johann Strauss the Younger 
Vom Donaustrande. Polka schnell, op. 356

Johann Strauss the Younger
Perpetuum mobile, op. 257

Johann Strauss the Younger
Accelerationen. Waltz, op. 234

Johann Strauss the Younger 
Elektro-magnetische Polka, op. 110

Eduard Strauss 
Mit Dampf. Polka schnell, op. 70

Johann Strauss the Younger 
An der Elbe. Waltz, op. 477 *

Hans Christian Lumbye 
Champagner-Galopp

Johann Strauss the Younger 
Studenten-Polka, op. 263 *

Johann Strauss the Elder  
FreiheitsMarsch, op. 226 *

Johann Strauss the Younger
Annen-Polka, op.117

Johann Strauss the Younger
Wein, Weib und Gesang. Waltz, op. 333

Eduard Strauss
Mit Chic. Polka schnell, op. 221

Tracks marked * are being performed for the first time at a New Year's Concert

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SOURCE Sony Classical