VIENNESE WHIRLS

In 1814, European leaders gathered in Vienna to redress the devastation left by Napoleon. Negotiations about permanent harmony and fair borders faltered, but the celebrations and dinners and dances were exceptional. The recently developed Viennese waltz, a fast, whirling dance for couples, was hugely popular. There was no lasting world peace, but the fashionable phenomenon of the parquet floor was there to stay for at least the next 100 years.

New Year concerts, televised from the Musikverein in Vienna all over the world, have become a tradition in Finland and elsewhere. To celebrate the beginning of the year, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra turns the page on the calendar with light, twirling steps. The marches, polkas, waltzes and other classics that mark the Strauss dynasty’s more carefree life officially usher in 2025.