Salute to Vienna 2009
New Year 2009 began with Salute to
Vienna Concert offered by Atilla and Marion Glatz
productions to Canadian audiences. First performed at Toronto’s
Roy Thompson Hall fourteen years ago Salute to Vienna expanded
across North America and in Canada can be enjoyed in 10
locations from Montreal to Victoria. This year I had an
opportunity to see it at Centre in the Square in Kitchener.
The program varies from location to location and from year to
year. The music lovers who see it every year welcome the variety
of programming. In Kitchener the concert opened with the
overture to Viennese Jubilee by Frantz von Suppé and
proceeded to a collection of waltzes and polkas, compositions of
Franz Lehar and Johann Staruss Jr., arias from Land of
Smiles, The Merry Widow, Gypsy Baron and others, so
familiar, so comforting, so cheerful! The program closed with
the famous Blue Danube waltz and enthusiastic ovation by
the audience. There were regular concert-goers and
special-occasion groups of families bringing children or
grandchildren along. Everyone loves the music, welcome the New
Year and enjoy the occasion.
Conductor Klaus Arp, no stranger to Salute to Vienna (he
led them in New York, Toronto, Chicago and Montreal) commented
on the program and composers with the audience and ably
conducted the K-W Symphony Orchestra. Katarzyna Dondalska, a
Polish soprano educated and currently based in Germany was
spectacular. What a voice, what a coloratura! She is young and I
can tell there is a great future for her. The tenor was a last
moment substitute – and unfortunately his name was not printed
in the program – he handled the required songs well. Six dancers
came from far away Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine. It was a real
pleasure to see how accomplished they were and how they fitted
into the traditional Viennese style of celebration. Another pair
of ballroom dancers in the classic Viennese attires completed
the picture.
It was a cold and snowy January night and the crowd was happy
and laughing. Thank you, Attila Productions, thank you Vienna
for the music and tradition, see you again next year! And have a
happy new year!!
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