Donauwalzer flies into space: Viennese symphonists make history!

Donauwalzer flies into space: Viennese symphonists make history!

A magnificent musical event occurred on Saturday evening in Vienna. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra performed Johann Strauss' notorious "Danube Walzer" in a concert in the Museum of Applied Arts. But this event was not just an experience for those present on site. The waltz was also transferred to the beach of the Danube Canal in Vienna and in the New York Bryant Park. What was special about this was the digital transmission to space, which took place over a 35 -meter parabolic antenna of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Spain to send the signal to Voyager 1, which is now about 25 billion kilometers away from the earth. This is a remarkable achievement that [germany radio] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/donauwalzer-von-strauss-von-aus- ins-all-ubergeren-100.html) and and [SRF] (https://www.srf.ch/news/international/inofficiale-weltall-hymne-donauwalzer-reist-per-der-voyager-1- Hinterher) is reported.

The reason for this extraordinary transmission: In the original mission of the Voyager program in 1977, the "Donauwalker" was not included in the gilded copper sound plate, which contained 27 music works from other sizes such as Bach and Beethoven. The Viennese tourism director Norbert Kettner described the campaign as a kind of reparation for this historical failure. It is hard to believe that this popular waltz, which is now considered unofficial hymns of the Alls, was not part of this musical journey. This is often attributed to the influence of Stanley Kubrick, who chose the waltz for his film "2001: Odyssey in space", which also consolidated the association between composition and space.

celebrations and symbolism

However, this action was more than just a musical experiment. She fell together with the celebrations for the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss and the 50th day of the ESA, which was also celebrated on Saturday. The special appearance and the simultaneous transmission were part of a comprehensive campaign by Vienna Tourism, which aims to present the cultural importance of Strauss in a global audience. The audience in Vienna, which was able to experience the waltz live, was also enthusiastic about the connection to space travel.

The technology behind this transmission is also impressive. The signal takes about 23 hours to reach Voyager 1, as it is now outside of our solar system. The reception of the music depends on the technical means of other civilizations that could possibly be in contact with the spacecraft.

a musical piece of history

The Viennese symphonists who were responsible for this unique performance have not only sent a piece of Viennese culture into space; They have also established an important connection between music and science. The "Danube Walzer", which is often referred to as "on the beautiful blue Danube", is not only perceived as an entertaining melody, but has become a symbol of human creativity in the face of the infinity of space.

With this special transmission, the connection between the earth and the universe is further strengthened and a piece of history has been rewritten. And maybe one day, in a distant civilization, someone will be able to receive this beautiful waltz and enjoy the sounds of the earth. That's a nice thought, isn't it?