At the suggestion of “Ballmutti” Honorary Vice Consul Prof. Birgit Sarata, the ceremonial grand opening of the 121st ZuckerBäckerball on 11 January 2024 revolves around Austrian operetta composer Franz Léhar.

Opera singer and recipient of the celebrity cake, Herbert Lippert, will sing Léhar songs, as will The "Vereinigung Wiener Staatsopernballett" – Vienna State Operahouse’ ballet, which will perform a top-class dance performance to his music.

“Franz Lehár is a special composer, the only Austrian operetta composer with world renown,” commented Sarata on her choice.

Performance by Vereinigung Wiener Staatsopernballett

For the seventh time in a row, the ceremonial opening of the ZuckerBäckerball will be adorned with a magical ballet performance by the venerable Vereinigung Wiener Staatsopernballett. This time, Liudmila Konovalova and Mihail Sosnovschi will appear as soloists in the world-famous ensemble.

The two solo dancers are supported by eight other group pairs. top-class ensemble will perform a great classical waltz to the “Gold and Silver Waltz” by Franz Lehár (Opus 79).

“Franz Lehár’s lively waltz inspired me to create a varied choreography with different corps de ballet formations and pas de deuxs for the solo couple,” said choreographer Lukas Gaudernak.

The soloists are supported by 8 corps de ballet couples. The women in elegant silver ball gowns, the men in classic tailcoats.

The waltz performance, one of the big highlights of the ball night, takes place at 9 p.m. as part of the ceremonial ball opening in the ballroom of the Vienna Hofburg. The opening will also be broadcast live in the ceremony hall.

Gold and silver waltz

When Franz Lehár played with his band at a carnival ball in Vienna’s Sophiensäle in 1901, the dedicatee, Princess Pauline von Metternich, liked the “Pauline Waltz” he had composed especially for it so much that she immediately commissioned him to create a particularly beautiful one to write the opening waltz for the “Gold and Silver” themed Redoute the following year.

The lecture waltz “Gold and Silver” (Opus 79) was premiered on 27 January 1902. However, Lehár was disappointed when it was viewed as mere utility music and only moderately applauded. He therefore transferred the rights to it for little money, which ultimately turned out to be a big deal for the buyers.

Musicologist and conductor Max Schönherr wrote: “With the three waltz chains of his waltz “Gold and Silver,” Lehár clearly overcame the bouncy ones of Strauss and the folksy, rough ones of Ziehrer of the last century. After eighty years of global Viennese waltz rhythms, he invented something new and vibrant that expressed itself more in melody and harmony than in the prevailing rhythm as before.

The lively music of the “Gold and Silver” waltz, rich in melodies, is ideal for opening one of the most important balls in Vienna.

PORTRAIT Liudmila Konovalova

Principal dancer Liudmila Konovalova represents the Russian school of dance. The Russian native enjoyed her training at the renowned Moscow State Ballet Academy. From 2002 she was a member of the Russian State Ballet, where she became principal dancer of this ensemble in 2004.

After engagements as a solo dancer at the Berlin State Ballet, she was hired as a solo dancer at the Vienna State Ballet in 2010 and was appointed principal dancer in 2011. Guest appearances have taken her to numerous European countries and overseas, where she also won several international awards.

PORTRAIT Mihail Sosnovschi

Mihail Sosnovschi, born in Chisinau (Moldova), trained at the Ballet Academy of Moldova and the Conservatory of the City of Vienna.

He danced with the Jeune Ballet de France in 2000, and a year later he became a member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet. Sosnovschi became a semi-soloist in 2003 and was appointed principal dancer of the Vienna State Ballet in 2010.

Guest appearances have taken him to numerous European countries and overseas. Mihail Sosnovschi received two awards in 2001, once with first prize at the ÖTR Contest in Vienna and the Grand Prix at the Concours International de Danse de Luxembourg.

CHOREOGRAPHY BY LUKAS GAUDERNAK

© Andreas Jakwerth

The choreographer has been a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble since 1987. At the beginning of the 2006/07 season, in addition to his commitment as a dancer, he also worked as a rehearsal director for the ballet of the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper.

In 2009 he was appointed rehearsal and production manager of the Viennese State Opera Ballet and Volksoper Ballet, later promoted to Ballet Master in 2022.

In June 1994 he showed his first choreography as part of the Young Choreographers Ballet Workshop. This was followed by numerous commissioned works at both Vienna State Opera and Volksoper, as well as commissioned choreographies for ball openings and television recordings.

Another focus of his work is choreographic collaboration in opera and operetta productions at the Salzburg Festival, the Bregenz Festival, the Royal Opera House London and the New Israeli Opera Tel Aviv, among others.

In addition to his regular work as a choreographic assistant for the ballet interludes at the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert, he has been responsible for the choreography of the ballet at the Vienna Coffee Makers' Ball since 2006 and for the New Year's Eve Ball in the Vienna Hofburg since 2013. In 2017 he designed the ballet performance at the Vienna Opera Ball.

This is the seventh time he has been responsible for the choreography of the opening at the ZuckerBäckerball.

Previous opening ballets OF ZuckerBäckerball

  • 2016: “Roses from the South, Opus 388” by Johann Strauss (son), danced by the solo dancers Ketevan Papava and Eno Peci

  • 2017: “Schatzwalzer, Opus 418” by Johann Strauss (son), danced by the solo dancers Anastasia Markina (replaced the cancelled Ketevan Papava at short notice) and Roman Lazik

  • 2018: “Lagoon Waltz, Opus 411” by Johann Strauss (son), danced by the solo dancers Alice Firenze and Mihail Sosnovschi

  • 2019: “Watercolor Waltz, Opus 258” by Johann Strauss (son), danced by the solo dancers Ketevan Papava and Eno Peci

  • 2020: “Acceleration Waltz, Opus 234” by Johann Strauss (son), danced by the solo dancers Maria Yakovleva and Denys Cherevychko

  • 2023: “Roses from the South, Opus 388” by Johann Strauss (son), danced by the solo dancers Irina Tsymbal and Mihail Sosnovschi