“An der schöenen blauen Donau,” or “The Beautiful Blue Danube,” is one of the most famous waltzes by Johann Strauss, Jr. This waltz is synonymous with the city of Vienna, whose heart, it has been said, beats in 3/4 time. Every New Year at midnight, orchestras play this piece for the crowds celebrating in front of the city hall and elsewhere in the city.
Although not on New Years, this video shows dancers and an orchestra in front of the Austrian imperial summer residence, Schönbrunn palace. Look for the man with the red-white-red sash dancing with the woman in white with star-shaped hair clips at 4:48. They are portraying Emperor Franz Josef I and his wife, the Empress Elisabeth (Sissi), who reigned in the second half of the 19th century.
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