This programme celebrates the elegance, charm and sheer joy of the Viennese tradition with a dazzling programme of orchestral favourites.

Programme:
Strauss II – Overture to Die Fledermaus
Strauss II – Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka
Shostakovich – Waltz No. 2
Sibelius – Valse triste
Tchaikovsky – Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty
Korngold – Serenade from The Snowman
Schubert – Ständchen
Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5
Kreisler – Marche miniature viennoise
Kreisler – Liebesleid
Kreisler – Liebesfreud
Tchaikovsky – Selections from The Nutcracker
Strauss II – The Blue Danube

At its heart is the music of Johann Strauss II, the “Waltz King”, whose works capture the wit, sparkle and irresistible energy of 19th-century Vienna. From the effervescent Die Fledermaus Overture to the playful Tritsch-Tratsch Polka — a lively musical portrait of gossip — his music is full of colour, humour and sparkling melody. The programme culminates in The Blue Danube, one of the most famous waltzes ever written: an unofficial anthem of Vienna and a piece that has enchanted audiences for generations, from grand ballrooms to the silver screen in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Alongside Strauss, Tchaikovsky brings a touch of magic with music from his beloved ballets. The graceful Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty shimmers with fairy-tale elegance, while the much-loved Nutcracker Suite features some of the most recognisable music ever written — from the delicate, sparkling “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” to the sweeping beauty of the “Waltz of the Flowers”.

Completing the programme, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 bursts with fiery energy and rhythmic flair, bringing a thrilling contrast with its bold shifts in mood and tempo.

Full of elegance, warmth and exhilarating musical colour, this is a concert to lift the spirits and delight audiences of all ages.