Summer night concert

Schönbrunn was the stage for a bilateral selfie

Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Chymynez with his wife Vlasta and US Ambassador Victoria Reggie Kennedy (center) at the bilateral selfie shortly before the Summer Night Concert in Schönbrunn.(Bild: Alexander Tuma)

Around 423,000 TV viewers witnessed a brilliant concert evening by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Schönbrunn Palace. The traditional summer night concert is also a magnet for the powerful, rich, beautiful, VIPs and VIPerln. The "Krone" reporter went on a foray and "caught" two top diplomats taking a history-making selfie before the concert even began.

After the New Year's Concert, the Summer Night Concert is the most televised classical music concert in the world. The protagonists here and there are the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. This was also the case on Friday when, under Maestro Andris Nelsons, they gave a true showcase of their skills for television viewers and around 100,000 people in front of Schönbrunn Palace with works ranging from Shostakovich to Wagner.

Weather as a variable
Once again this year, the weather (the dress rehearsal had to be canceled) played a (major) role right up to the end. But as the saying goes: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing", which was also the tenor of the many prominent guests from all genres who attended.

Magnificent backdrop at Schönbrunn with the Gloriette in the background.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Deanne McKee with husband Michael Schade and Teresa Vogl.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Salzburg's cult festival president Helga Rabl-Stadler with former minister Ursula Plassnik.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Red-Green coalition in Schönbrunn: Minister Leonore Gewessler, former President Heinz Fischer with his wife Margit and Minister Alma Zadic.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Salzburg Festival President Kristina Hammer.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Artist duo Clemens Unterreiner and Sandra Pires.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Barbara Eselböck and her husband, Chef of the Year Alain Weissgerber.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Welptianist Rudolf Buchbinder and his wife Agnes.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

Top diplomat Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal with Salzburg's artistic director Markus Hinterhäuser.(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

"I am prepared for all eventualities, also because I write my own moderations," explained ORF lady Teresa Vogl about how she had prepared the balancing act for any capricious weather. And artists like top tenor Michael Schade, this time "only" a guest? "I once had freezing cold and bad weather during my performance - and yet 25,000 people held out because there's nothing bigger in classical music."

Selfie with a lot of diplomacy
Two top diplomats also seized the moment on the floor of Schönbrunn. Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Chymynez and US Ambassador Victoria Reggie Kennedy: as long as they were unable to immerse themselves in the thousands of guests, we "caught" them taking a quasi bilateral selfie - all on neutral Austrian soil.

In attendance: former President Heinz Fischer, Ministers Leonore Gewessler, Alma Zadic, Martin Kocher and Norbert Totschnig, Life Ball father Gery Keszler, Sportalm boss Ulli Ehrlich, Chef of the Year Alain Weissgerber and Daniel Serafin.