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Hofmusikkapelle |
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On 6th January 1870 a new concert hall opened in Vienna. Already at its opening, the hall was regarded as one of the most beautiful in the world. The Golden Hall in the new building of the Musikverein in Vienna sparkled both optically and acoustically: a phenomenal blend of art forms. The waves of history resonated to this symphony of the senses. From the very beginning in 1870 the most important musicians in the world stood on the conductor’s podium: Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler conducted their own pieces. Furtwängler and Karajan were Concert directors of this building. In short: the Musikverein in Vienna is – ennobled by history –a meeting point, centre, heart of the musical world.
It was Riccardo Muti who conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra when the hall celebrated its 125th jubilee on January 6th 1995. This event could not have demonstrated more clearly just how important Riccardo Muti had become for the musical life in Vienna and how closely he is connected with the Musikverein in Vienna. That same year he was appointed an honorary member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, an honour which he shares with Beethoven, Cherubini, Spontini and Verdi. No less important and significant was the invitation by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 1992 for Riccardo Muti to conduct the gala concert in the Große Musikvereinssaal to celebrate the orchestra’s 150th anniversary. After the concert the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra also expressed their appreciation by presenting him with their Golden ring, a very rarely awarded honour. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra also accorded Riccardo Muti one of the highest accolades in their gift by inviting him no less than four times to conduct the annual New Year’s Concert in the Großer Musikvereinssaal.
Riccardo Muti made his debut in the Vienna Musikverein on the 18th October 1974 conducting the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Only one year later he conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the same venue – and other important and famous orchestras have also been his partners in the Vienna Musikverein: The Philharmonia Orchestra London, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Orchestra Filamonica della Scala.
Since his debut in this house, Riccardo Muti has conducted more than 120 concerts there – and every new season will see half a dozen more. Again and again the house chorus – the Vienna Singverein – enjoy the honour and the pleasure to work with Riccardo Muti. Herbert von Karajan established the world-wide fame of this chorus and it is therefore appropriate that in 2008, the Vienna Singverein will take part in a memorial concert in the Musikverein on the anniversary of what would have been Herbert von Karajan’s 100th birthday. On the podium will – of course – be Riccardo Muti!
The fact that Riccardo Muti regularly conducts the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle (the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle consists of members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the male members of the chorus of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Sängerknaben) is another example of the deep bond between Riccardo Muti and the musical city of Vienna. It is a bond linked to a great tradition. Antonio Salieri for example was both Kapellmeister of the imperial court in Vienna as well as one of the founding members of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna.
Vienna has always known how to embrace Italy’s finest musicians. Today Riccardo Muti is their most illustrious representative. |
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