Ich pfeif’ auf den Tod!“

Category Classical / Chamber Music

With artistic trills and flashy coloraturas, Nikolaus Habjan takes the audience into the world of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Offenbach, and Strauss, but also into the world of Viennese waltzes and song composers, Ziehrer, Schrammel, and Kreisler.

On this evening, Habjan is accompanied by the ensemble of the Philharmonia Schrammeln, composed of members of the Vienna Philharmonic, which has been a fixed part of the Viennese music scene since its founding in the 1970s. For decades, they have been dedicated a cycle at the Vienna Musikverein. They present the Viennese Schrammel music largely in its original form.

The art of whistling originated in the 19th century among the Austrian upper class. Whistlers are capable of whistling a complex melody in different pitches without technical aids. They were very popular during the time of the Schrammel brothers in the 19th century and performed in Viennese variety shows, cabarets, and folk stages - gradually, however, the high form of art whistling fell into oblivion.

Nikolaus Habjan, the versatile musician, puppeteer, and Nestroy award winner, has revived the tradition of art whistling and is now one of the best whistlers in the world.

Nikolaus Habjan – Whistler
Günter Haumer – Button Accordion
Dominik Hellsberg – Violin
Heinz Hromada – Contrabass Guitar
Stefan Neubauer – Clarinet
Johannes Tomböck – Violin