New Year's Concert

Today was a quiet day as everything in Vienna except cafes and restaurants and concerts are closed on New Year's Day.  We slept in and took it easy during the morning.  In the mid-afternoon Karen and I went for a long walk through the Schonbrunn palace grounds and the woods surrounding it and came out way over on the other side of it in a little neighborhood.  It was milder today than yesterday so walking outside was fine.  There was a very light dusting of snow, but not much.   Lots of folks were out walking and the New Year's market was still going on the palace grounds, with a Jazz quartet playing when we walked by.  The highlight of the day was our concert at the Hall of Industry, where we heard the Royal Vienna Orchestra.  Before the concert we went back to the Schwartzenberger Cafe and enjoyed traditional Viennese fare.  I had the wienerschnitzel and Roz and Deldar had goulash and Karen had grilled fish.  We enjoyed sacher torte and apple strudel for dessert which was delicious.  Then we went to the concert which was terrific.  The first half was Mozart's greatest hits and the second half Strauss and Vienna waltzes.  The program was excellent as it included arias and operatic pieces, ballet dance and orchestral pieces.   The orchestra had a great sense of humor and were really playing to the audience.  They started the second half off wearing reindeer antlers and playing Sleigh Ride which was great fun.  At the end they did two encores with the audience clapping along and cheering wildly.   It really was a great concert and the musicians were fantastic.  The soprano soloist was amazing.   The audience gave her a standing ovation.  It was a fast pass through the greatest hits of Viennese music, very lively and engaging.  Pics today are of the concert hall in the Hall of Industry building.  Very ornate decor as you can see.   It was a very alive, resonant room for music.  So all in all our New Year's in Vienna has proved to be a wonderful Viennese experience!