麻豆约拍

A special essay from Petroc Trelawny examines the chequered past of an Austrian tradition. The Vienna Philharmonic orchestra's New Year's Day concert is watched all over the world - and it's renowned for its glamour and professionalism, with the smooth, polished style of the music (mostly Strauss) reflected in the lavish gilt setting of the city's Goldener Musikvereinsaal.

Yet behind the glitz lies a measure of guilt - for this is no centuries-old tradition, but a relatively recent event, first established during the Nazi era and with many 20th Century associations which some find uncomfortable. From its invention to its invitees, it turns out, almost nothing about the history of this event is straightforward.

Photo: Detail of the ornate ceiling and balcony of Vienna's 'Goldener Musikvereinsaal', 2008. (DIETER NAGL/AFP/Getty Images)