On 31 December 2009 the HOFBURG Vienna is set to host the 40th Kaiserball. This year’s event will draw 2,500 guests from all over the world and welcome its 100,000th visitor. Founder of the Esterházy Hussars, Prince Anton II Esterházy, will lead the special anniversary celebrations which are themed “The Gipsy Baron” this year. Artistic director Herbert Fischerauer will provide an exciting new feature with the Court Dance Palace.
The 2009 Kaiserball will be held under the banner of “The Gipsy Baron” to mark the 125th anniversary of the premiere of Johann Strauss’ operetta masterpiece. The music will include Hungarian rhythms alongside classic Viennese waltzes. “We are delighted that Prince Anton II Esterházy will be leading the Lipizzan mounted Hussars as they welcome our guests at the main entrance to the Hofburg,” said Renate Danler, Managing Director of the HOFBURG Vienna. The highlight of the ball is the hour-long Imperial New Year’s Gala. Starting at midnight, guests will be treated to singers and dancers from Austria’s best known stages, the ringing of the Pummerin bell and a rendition of the Blue Danube waltz to welcome the New Year. And of course visitors are expected to raise a toast to the Imperial couple. This year guests are invited to join in the popular quadrille with music from “The Gipsy Baron”.
This special anniversary also provides an opportunity to look back over the past 40 years. The Kaiserball has hosted visitors from more than 60 different countries as far afield as Chile, Ethiopia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Alaska. “We will be giving a very special welcome to our 100,000th guest at the 40th jubilee 2009 Kaiserball,” Ms Danler reveals. The former imperial residence provided the enchanting backdrop for a new television series about Empress Sisi, underlining the combination of tradition and modernity found at the Hofburg and the Kaiserball. Herbert Fischerauer, who was appointed artistic director of the Kaiserball two years ago, brings new vision to the event. He is a master at combining traditional and new programme highlights to ensures that the Kaiserball is always a unique experience. The 2009 Kaiserball will feature upbeat disco rhythms at the Court Dance Palace for visitors to dance into the small hours. Elmayer dance school will choreograph the traditional opening polonaise for the first time.
A 500-strong team will be working to make the anniversary Kaiserball an unforgettable evening. In addition to 200 artists – including soloists from the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper – and 50 cloakroom attendants, technicians, stewards and event organisers, there will be around 250 liveried waiters and waitresses. More than 1,300 gala dinners, 700 bottles of champagne and 800 bottles of wine await the dinner guests.
