After the big Strauss year in 2025, there is no comemorational regent this season. The program is therefore free of anniversary obligations and allows for discoveries. That is why the Divertimento Viennese ball orchestra under Vinzenz Praxmarer is setting a rather unusual accent: the second movement (“Un bal”) from Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.

Berlioz, one of the most idiosyncratic composers of the 19th century, expanded the orchestra with analytical, almost scientific meticulousness. He was present in Vienna, but less acclaimed than in Paris or Germany, probably also because he was reluctant to conform. “Un bal” reflects this well: a waltz that approaches the ball with an openness that suits it surprisingly well. Apart from that, everything remains as usual with the Divertimento Viennese ball orchestra. The music plays until the early hours of the morning, and after the midnight interlude, the quadrille naturally follows. Some traditions should not be questioned.