The annual New Year's Day Concert is the traditional Strauss gala with the Vienna Philharmonic marking the turn of the calendar in the spectacularly beautiful Musikverein. For the first time in 2002 the concert was conducted by Seiji Ozawa and the light-hearted nature of the event finds this always engaging conductor at his most impishly playful. The works of Joseph and Johann Strauss more-or-less alternate, opening with Johann's Zivio! march and closing, 108 minutes later, with the traditional clap-along to the Radetzky-March. Among the polkas and waltzes, including a ravishing encore of the Blue Danube waltz, other highlights include the overture to Die Fledermaus, which gets the second half of the concert off to a rousing start.

Tracklist:

01.Johann Strauss II - Zivio!; Marsch; op. 456 –
02.Johann Strauss II - Carnevals-Botschafter; Walzer; op. 270 –
03.Josef Strauss - Die Schwätzerin; Polka Mazur; op. 144 –
04.Johann Strauss II - Künstlerleben; Walzer; op. 316 –
05.Johann Strauss I - Beliebte Annen-Polka; op. 137 –
06.Josef Strauss - Vorwärts!; Polka schnell; op. 127 –
07.Johann Strauss II - Die Fledermaus; Overtüre –
08.Josef Strauss - Arm in Arm; Polka Mazur; op. 215 –
09.Josef Strauss - Aquarellen; Walzer; op. 258 –
10.Josef Strauss - Die Libelle; Polka Mazur; op. 204 –
11.Josef Strauss - Plappermäulchen; Polka schnell; op. 245 –
12.Johann Strauss II - Perpetuum mobile; Polka; op. 257 –
13.Joseph Hellmesberger jun. - Danse diabolique –
14.Johann Strauss II - Elisen-Polka; op. 151 –
15.Johann Strauss II - Wiener Blut; Walzer; op. 354 –
16.Johann Strauss II - Tik-Tak; Polka schnell; op. 365 –
17.Josef Strauss - Im Fluge; Polka schnell; op. 230 –
18.Johann Strauss II - An der schönen blauen Donau; Walzer; op. 314 –
19.Johann Strauss I - Radetzky-Marsch; op. 228 –