What do aliens think when they hear the Danube Waltz from Vienna? The answer probably remains unknown to us, but at least the question is justified. Because on Saturday, Vienna embarked on a cosmic mission: With “Waltz into Space”, the famous Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss II was not only celebrated on earth, but also sent into space as an electromagnetic wave for the first time . The event is a spectacular tribute to the 200th birthday of the Waltz King. Find out here how a piece of Vienna made it into space and what remains of it.
Waltz into Space: a galactic concert
The fact that the Danube Waltz is not just for earthly ears had been planned for some time. Because when NASA sent its Voyager probes into space in 1977 with the famous golden records to send mankind’s greatest achievements into space, the Danube Waltz, of all things, was missing. Yet it had long been regarded as the unofficial anthem of the cosmos thanks to the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
The organizers from the Vienna Tourist Board and the European Space Agency (ESA) have now made up for this omission. Supported by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, they sent a musical greeting to the universe on the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss. In an exclusive concert at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), the musicians also played the Danube Waltz. This was transmitted in real time to the ESA Deep Space Antenna DSA 2 in Cebreros, Spain. From there, Strauss’ melody traveled at the speed of light towards Voyager 1, the most distant man-made object in space.
Music from Vienna into space – a global event
Although the concert at the MAK was reserved for invited guests only, music and space enthusiasts were able to experience the event live. The musical space adventure was celebrated worldwide at a large public viewing at the Strandbar Herrmann in Vienna, in Bryant Park in New York and online via livestream . The “SpaceNotes” campaign also enabled people from 92 countries to symbolically “sponsor” individual notes of the Danube Waltz and thus become part of the mission.
With “Waltz into Space”, Vienna is once again underlining its role as a creative and visionary city of music. Norbert Kettner, Director of Vienna Tourist Board, emphasized: “The successful realization of the mission is proof of Vienna’s unique ability to combine tradition with innovation.” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher was also enthusiastic: “Our technology can not only transmit scientific data, but also human art over great distances. ”
The Danube Waltz no longer only dances through Vienna’s ballrooms. It also floats out into the infinity of the universe as a sonorous greeting from the musical city of Vienna. Who knows which creatures will soon be swaying to Johann Strauss’ music.