On 1 January each year, the Golden Hall of Vienna’s Musikverein plays host to the spectacular New Year’s Concert, one of the most anticipated and glamorous events in the classical music calendar. Taking centre stage, as it has done now for almost a century, is the Vienna Philharmonic who herald in the new year with polkas, waltzes, mazurkas and marches by the Strauss family and others. The Vienna Phil has a tradition of inviting a different conductor every year to lead the celebrations—and returning to the New Year’s Concert podium for the second time is the German conductor Christian Thielemann. His programmeintroduces no less than nine pieces making their New Year’s Concert debut, including Johann Strauss II’s Nachtigall-Polka (Nightingale Polka) and posthumously published Ischler Walzer, plus Joseph Hellmesberger Jr’s pizzicato extravaganza, the Estudiantina-Polka. The encores are as part of the concert as the main programme itself, however, and include Johann Strauss II’s most famous waltz, An der schönen blauen Donau (otherwise known as The Blue Danube), alongside the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss Sr. Enjoy the entire New Year’s Concert on this official live album. Surely there’s no finer way to raise a glass to the past year and, of course, welcome in 2024.