One of the largest classical concerts in the world is the atmospheric summer night concert of the Vienna Philharmonic every year, which usually takes place in front of 100,000 spectators in the festively illuminated palace park of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. In 2021, the number of spectators will be limited to 3,000 seats due to the pandemic, and some of the tickets have been awarded to people who have been at the forefront of medical and elementary education during the pandemic. The high-class concert reaches millions of people via the TV stations connected all over the world, in Austria on ORF, in Germany on 3sat. In 2021, pianist Igor Levit will be the soloist at the Summer Night Concert for the first time, and Daniel Harding will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic for the first time.

The varied program is under the motto "Wanderlust"." The Vienna Philharmonic will take you to Italy with music by Verdi (overture to "Les vêpres siciliennes"), to America with Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from the "Westside Story", or to England with the famous "Salut d ́amour" by Edward Elgar. Jean Sibelius' "Karelia Suite" stands for Finland, Claude Debussy lets the summer heat of the French south glow in "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune", and Gustav Holt's music from the "planets" transports distant galaxies.

Star pianist Igor Levit and the Vienna Philharmonic present Rachmaninov's virtuoso "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, op. 43"".

The concert released by Sony Classical on BLU-Ray, which reproduce the atmospheric staging in the festively illuminated park of Schönbrunn Palace particularly well, as well as a CD and as a digital album.

Sommernachtskonzert 2021 / Summer Night Concert 21 BLU-Ray