An Introduction by Dr. Clemens Hellsberg

The first Philharmonic concert took place on March 28th, 1842—more than a half-century after Mozart's death and fifteen years after Beethoven's. Yet until then, the city that had given its name to the "Viennese Classicists"—Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven—had no permanent professional concert-orchestra. Before the era of the Philharmonic, the demand for performances of symphonic works was filled by ensembles that were partly made up of dilettantes. Such performances were regarded as an opportunity for soloists and composers to present their works to the public or to hold benefit concerts. At that time, orchestras composed solely of professional musicians could be found only in theaters. One such theater had already been used for concerts at the end of the 18th century: during Lent of 1785, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart engaged the Viennese Court Opera Orchestra for a cycle of six concerts in the "Mehlgrube" Hall. For his Academy concert of April 2nd, 1800, Ludwig van Beethoven employed this facility as well, to premiere his First Symphony. Years later, on May 7th, 1824, the orchestra of the Society of the Friends of Music (composed, that is, of dilettantes), along with the Court Opera Orchestra, augmented by the Court Music Ensemble, played the first performance of Beethoven's Ninth—an historic event.

Nevertheless, Vienna's largest and best ensembles faced roundabout and farcical problems before they could appear on their own initiative in classical symphony concerts. For example, Franz Lachner—the Bavarian composer and conductor, active since 1830 at the Court Opera Theater—performed Beethoven symphonies between acts of ballets. From experiments of this sort to more ambitious enterprises was only a short step, which was taken under Lachner's direction; yet, due to structural deficiencies, his "Artists-Society" had to be disbanded after only four appearances.

In 1841 Otto Nicolai (1810-1849), later world-famed as composer of the comic opera, "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), was called to the post of Principal Conductor of the Kärntnertor Theater. At the urging of leading personalities of Vienna's music life, he took up Lachner's idea, and on March 28th, 1842, led a "Grand Concert" in the main auditorium of the Redouten Hall, organized by "the entire personnel" of the Royal Imperial Court Opera Theater. This "Philharmonic Academy" (the original title) rightly marks the birth of our orchestra, an occasion when all the principles of the "Philharmonic Idea", still valid today, were realized for the first time:

• only a musician engaged by the Vienna State Opera (formerly: Court Opera) can be a member of the Vienna Philharmonic
  
• the orchestra is founded on artistic, organizational, and financial self-responsibility
  
• all decisions are to be made democratically by the main body of active members
  
• actual administrative work will be carried out by a democratically elected twelve-member committee

Even before the political events of 1848, that basis was achieved which made possible the technically and musically unhindered performance of classical symphonic works—this, with the help of a revolutionary new model: the democratic self-determination and initiative of an orchestral association. Only then could a real beginning be made—many a painful setback had to be endured before the Music Society could arrive at actual stability.

Despite the tally of eleven successful concerts under Nicolai's direction, the collaboration between this brilliant but authoritarian artist and the orchestra, struggling under its new role of independent self-administrator, was overshadowed by hefty disagreement. When Nicolai left Vienna for good and all in 1847, the young enterprise, suddenly bereft of, not only artistic, but also administrative direction, all but collapsed.

Finally, after twelve years of stagnation, during which the demoralized ensemble ventured only ten events on its own, the long-awaited turning-point was reached and a new foundation laid: on January 15th, 1860, the first of four subscription concerts was given under the baton of the former Opera Director, Carl Eckert.

Since then, the "Philharmonic Concerts" have continued without break, the only basic change being that from conductors regularly engaged for an entire season, to the guest-conductor system, as the following list illustrates:

Under Otto Dessoff's leadership the repertoire was significantly enlarged, important organizational features introduced (Music Archives, Business Administration), and, for the third (and last) time, the concert venue changed. With the start of the 1870/71 season came the move into the Golden Hall of Vienna's Musikverein, the Music-Society Building. Considered an ideal setting for the Philharmonic to the present day, this venue's acoustic qualities has deeply influenced the Philharmonic's sound and playing-style.

It was under Hans Richter's leadership that this incomparable orchestra arrived at world-caliber status—the legendary Richter, who had presided over the first performances of Wagner's tetrology, "The Ring of the Nibelung" (Der Ring der Nibelungen) at Bayreuth. Moreover, soloists and conductors coming to concertize with the Philharmonic furnished additional encounters with, to name but a few, Wagner, Verdi, Bruckner, Brahms, and Liszt. "The Golden Age", which Richter's tenure has come to be called, saw the world premieres of Brahms' Second and Third Symphonies, as well as Bruckner's Eighth. With Gustav Mahler the orchestra went abroad for the first time (the Paris World's Fair of 1900), and the actual touring activities of the Philharmonic (which in 1908 was granted official recognition as a corporation) began with von Weingartner, who traveled with it to South America in summer 1922.

Of great significance to music history is the close association with Richard Strauss. Between 1906 and 1944 he conducted countless opera and concert performances at home and abroad, and was bound to the orchestra by ties of heartfelt friendship, climaxed by the celebrations, in the family-circle of the Vienna Philharmonic, of his 75th and 80th birthdays (1939 and 1944, respectively). The relationship with Richard Strauss constitutes a high point in the history of the Vienna Philharmonic, already rich in magnificent experiences. Its uniqueness is perhaps best illustrated by the following "Declaration of Love", dating from the time of the orchestra's centennial celebrations in 1942:

Praising the Philharmonic is like taking violins to Vienna. Yet I appreciate no less the 'piano' of the woodwinds, the shimmering harp, and the inexorable kettledrum. Your artistic achievements are acclaimed by delighted listeners the whole world over. Today I wish to express my praise in just two short sentences: 'Only he who has conducted the Vienna Philharmonic knows what the are!' But that remains our closest secret! You already understand me - as on the podium!

Another highlight is the collaboration with Arturo Toscanini in the years 1933 to 1937, as well as that with Wilhelm Furtwängler, who, despite the shelving of the permanent-director system, was actually chief conductor from 1933 to 1945 and between 1947 and 1954.

In 1938 politics struck the Philharmonic in the most brutal way possible. Without any notice whatsoever, the National Socialists dismissed all Jewish artists from the State Opera and dissolved the Vienna Philharmonic Society. Only Furtwängler's intervention reversed the decision and saved the "Half-Jews" and "Close Relatives" from dismissal and persecution. Nevertheless, the Philharmonic would have cause to mourn the concentration-camp murder of six of its Jewish members and the death of one of its young violinists on the eastern front.

At the end of World War II, the orchestra continued the policy begun in 1933 of enlisting the talents of the outstanding conductors of the day—Furtwängler, Erich Kleiber, Klemperer, Knappertsbusch, Krauss, Mitropoulos, Ormandy, Schuricht, Szell, Walter, Giulini, Solti; or from the younger generation: Abbado, Dohnanyi, Haitink, Carlos Kleiber, Levine, Maazel, Mehta, Muti, Ozawa, and Previn. A special place of honor in the orchestra's post-1945 history is devoted to the collaboration with both Laureate Conductors, Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan, and with the Laureate Associate Leonard Bernstein.

Recordings and films for Decca, DGG, CBS, EMI, and Phillips as well as for UNITEL, Telemondial, and the Austrian Radio; world concert tours; participation in the most notable Festivals—the Vienna Philharmonic fully meets ever increasing demand of today's multimedia music "industry", at the same time maintaining its own matchless individuality, as exemplified by the New Years Concerts and its dominating role at the Salzburg Festival. Despite this accommodation to modern tastes and trends, it is careful never to stray from its traditional principles, relying, as it did in Nicolai's times, on its own autonomy; since 1860 the subscription concerts have formed the artistic, organizational and financial basis of its activities.

The Vienna Philharmonic is much more than just Austria's most coveted "Cultural Export-Article". Its members are ambassadors, expressing, in the most touching way, those thoughts of peace, humanity, and reconciliation with which music is so inseparably bound, as at the Papal Mass in Rome with von Karajan (1985) or the tour of Israel with Bernstein (1988).

For their cultural achievements they have received numerous prizes, gold and platinum record-awards, national decorations, and honorary membership in many cultural institutions. Appreciation of a very special kind is expressed in the issuing of the Golden "Vienna Philharmonic" Commemorative coins by the National Bank of Austria (1889), as well as by three special commemorative stamps from the Austrian Ministry of Post-and-Telegraph (1959, 1967, 1992), while two different "Friends of the Vienna Philharmonic" Societies—in New York and Tokyo—underscore this international recognition.