2.02.2019 12:16
(Akt. 3.02.2019 09:38)
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The Viennese Opera Ball took place in New York on Friday.
© APA / Erwin Scheriau (subject image)
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The 64th Viennese Opera Ball took place in New York on Friday. However, this could not completely convince with its Viennese charm.
“It’s all waltz!” It was said yesterday, Friday evening, for the 64th time in Manhattan at the New York Opera Ball (“Viennese Opera Ball”) as Ball President Silvia Frieser and Artistic Director Daniel Serafin asked to dance in the classy restaurant Cipriani. Viennese charm, however, was not in the air. But Ferruccio Furlanetto delighted with singers from the Metropolitan Opera – with opera hits, of course.
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The New York Opera Ball has been a representative of Austria’s cultural heritage in the Big Apple since 1955. A touch of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in New York should be sprayed here. In a district like Manhattan, the whole thing looks rather old-fashioned. It is the American counterpart to the world-famous Vienna Opera Ball, the main features of which go back to 1814. A comparison with the original, which takes place on February 28 this year, is more than pointless.
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Opening of the Viennese Opera Ball to the traditional Kaiserwalzer
After a brief “VIP” reception, it wasn’t long before several cadets from an American military academy, the West Point Cadet Color Guard, marched into the hall decorated with red roses with flags before the Austrian and American national anthems were played. Daniel Serafin welcomed and thanked the debutants, artists and guests.
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Then it was the turn of the eighteen debutants, including Siena Rumbough (granddaughter of Hollywood actress Dina Merrill and great-granddaughter of EF Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post). They moved into the hall for the jubilee march for Emperor Franz Josef and opened the ball to the traditional Kaiserwalzer by Johann Strauss, played by the Salon Orchestra Divertimento Viennese, which was flown in from Vienna. The opening was organized by Roman E. Svabek’s dance school, under the direction of Sandra Stockmayer, who is also responsible for the Vienna Opera Ball.
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Ball in New York was under the sign of Joseph Haydn
There are hardly any classic balls in New York City that require tailcoats, a “white tie” and a long evening dress. Attending such an event is therefore an exotic affair for Americans, just like the waltz. “I just wanted to learn how to waltz,” Blair Kennedy, a young American debutante, tells the APA. “I’ve never danced the waltz before,” says another young lady.
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Artistically, the ball night this year was dominated by Joseph Haydn, whose 210th anniversary of death in 2019 will be commemorated. He also had his own Blaufränkisch Merlot blend from the Esterhazy winery, which was served to the ball guests. In contrast to the music, the food was not very Austrian. As an appetizer there was mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, followed by mushroom risotto, then beef fillet, and for dessert, tiramisu and pastry cake.
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Ball founded 64 years ago by an Austrian exile
The ball was founded 64 years ago by Austrians in exile. Today, the who’s who of Austrian culture and business meets their American friends and business partners here, and it is hoped that they will not only open their hearts to music, but also their wallets. Finally, the proceeds from the ball will be used to support music therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in collaboration with the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research.
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And so Austrian brands are presented in a somewhat bizarre way at the ball when a young lady walks around with a tutu made of Palmers coins all evening. The ladies’ donation was correspondingly generous, with gifts from sponsors, sparkling wine from Schlumberger, coffee from Bieder & Maier, spritzers from Kendlbacher and similar red-white-red treasures.
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Almost 400 guests took part in the event, including Wolfgang Binder, chairman of the Viennese coffee makers in the Chamber of Commerce, Franz Patay as managing director of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Donatella Ceccarelli from the Flick private foundation, and Lisa and Lucas Wieser from Palmers. The New York Society Lady Jean Shafiroff, chairwoman of the ball committee, thanked Austria for the “great friendship with the United States of America”. Then she added, “God bless you, God bless you, and let’s party!”
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Unfortunately, there was no Viennese flair at the ball in Manhattan
The “party” left something to be desired. An American lady asked why the guests look so bored. Perhaps because the density of politicians and diplomats was very high, which is not surprising given the host, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in the USA. Among others, Consul General Helmut Böck, Vienna’s FPÖ Deputy Mayor Dominik Nepp, ÖVP City Councilor Markus Wölbitsch, Landtag President Ernst Woller (SPÖ) and the American Congressman of the Democrats, Carolyn Maloney, appeared.
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But there was one mood-lightener, namely the opera singers of the Metropolitan Opera of New York, above all the Italian doyen Ferruccio Furlanetto. For the Viennese Opera Ball, Serafin was also able to win the Met stars Nadine Sierra, tenor Javier Camarena, Rihab Chaieb and Grammy winner Lucas Meachem, who sang a song from Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”.
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And yet: There was no real Viennese flair at the 64th Viennese Opera Ball. On the other hand, Grumbling is also quite Viennese.
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