这可能是今年的新年音乐会我最喜欢的部分！即使没有观众，只要还有音乐，我们就不孤单。新年快乐！

We are playing this new year's concert in a very unusual situation. We know that we are playing for many million of people around the world, practical in more than 90 different countries, but it's very strange for us to play in such a beautiful historical hall completely empty. But the orchestra played wonderfully, not only because they wanted to convey to you the message of music, but because all of us the Wiener Philharmoniker are surrounded by the spirits of Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler that in this hall and many other composers and interpretors in this hall made history.

Very few words just about the fact that of course we all had a very very difficult difficult year, actually horrendous, horribilis annus as in Latin I would say, but we are still here believing in the message of music. Musicians have in their weapons flowers, not things that kill. We bring joy, hope, peace, brotherhood, Love with capital L. So music is important not because it's an entertainment. Many times we see it everywhere music is considered as entertainer. Music is not only a profession, but is a mission. That is why we do this work. So mission for what? To make the society better. To think about the new generation that in one complete year has been deprived from deep thinking, thinking all the time about health. Health is the first most important thing, but also the health of the mind. And music helps. So my message to the governors, and presidents, and prime ministers everywhere in every part of the world, consider culture always as one of the primary elements to have a better society in the future.

With this message, we will play now the famous Blue Danube, and I hope that on the waves of this beautiful music full of joy and sadness, life and death, we can hope for a better year. This is why I would like to ask all my colleagues here to say happy new year in their wonderful language. So I would say, Die Wiener Philharmoniker und Ich wünschen ihnen: Frohes Neues Jahr!