Viennese Ball

UNESCO confirmed the criteria that a ball must have in order to be considered a real Viennese ball. Among other things, a special ballroom protocol and ballroom must be respected. The ball should be opened by young couples of debutants, at midnight there must be a midnight performance and in the morning the ball will be closed.

The roots of Viennese balls should be sought back during the Vienna Congress . In the first half of the 19th century , up to 250 balls were held every evening in Vienna during the carnival season. Almost everyone participated in the dances: from aristocrats to ordinary people. At the end of the century, one of the main events in the empire was a court ball. It was invited to know only, so the events that took place at the ball were usually discussed for a long time by the inhabitants of Vienna . But in 1899, worried about the death of his wife Elizabeth , Emperor Franz Joseph canceled the ball.

After the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1921, the opera ball took the place of the courtier. It began its existence long before that in the redoubt halls of the palace, but subsequently was moved to a new opera house , built by order of Franz Joseph in 1869. It was there that on December 11, 1877, the first major opera ball was held, in which Eduard Strauss , the younger brother of the famous maestro , directed the orchestra. A distinctive feature of the new ball was that the faces of the ladies must have been covered by masks, and the lady was the choice of the couple. The ability to appear in this "mysterious game" was initially poorly received by the conservatives, but in the end brought the ball great popularity.

The first Opera Ball of a modern type and under a modern name was held at the State Opera in 1935 under the patronage of Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg ^[2] . After Anschluss , balls ceased. The opera ball was resumed in February 1956 after the Second World War .

A grand polonaise opens the Opera Ball, in which specially selected couples participate: girls and young people. At the opera ball, about 200 pairs. After the opening polonaise, at most balls, the debutants dance a cheerful polka and end their performance with a waltz. The main criterion for the selection of participants is the ability to dance, in particular, to perform a right-side and left-side turn of a waltz . Additional criteria are also suits. Girls opening the ball should be in a white dress and a bouquet of flowers, and at the opera ball, they must also adorn the head with a crown (models of which change every year). Cavaliers should be dressed in tailcoats or uniforms , although tuxedo is also permissible at some balls. Before the waltz begins for all participants of the ball, young couples again show their skills, but already in the left-hand waltz.

Depending on the size of the ball, it accepts a wide variety of guests. The largest - the Opera Ball - is attended by up to five thousand guests and about a thousand serving - musicians, cooks, tailors, shoe makers.

The ballroom season in Vienna is considered the time from November 11 until Tuesday of phashing , although some balls are held at other times.

The first major ball is traditionally held on New Year's Eve in Hofburg , this is the Imperial Ball. The most popular tunes from the time of the monarchy, including the waltzes of Strauss and Lehar , and the music of Viennese classics - Mozart , Beethoven and Haydn , sound.

During the ballroom season in Vienna, more than 300 balls are held, ranging from balls of various professions (Ball of Jurists, Ball of Hunters) to large balls from state and cultural organizations (Ball of Vienna Philharmonics, Opera Ball).

Undoubtedly, the Vienna Opera Ball, which is usually held in mid-February and coincides with the holidays of “phasing” - funny Austrian carnivals and masquerades, plays the main role in all of Europe. It equates to a state reception, and usually the president of Austria is present at it.

It all starts with a traditional polonaise , in which debutants participate. After the dance of the debutants, everyone dances. But everyone is waiting for the most important dance, which is the famous Viennese waltz .

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• The Vienna Opera Ball . Wiener Staatsoper. Date of treatment February 9, 2017.