Vienna, the capital of Austria, is preparing for an event that combines art and technology, which goes beyond the boundaries of our planet. Together with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Vienna Tourist Board will send the famous composition of Johann Strauss II "Blue Danube" into open space. The initiative is part of the commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the birthday of the Austrian composer and conductor J. Strauss II, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Space Agency. The goal of this step is to correct what the organizers called a "mistake" and fill the historical gap, as this composition did not make it onto the golden records sent aboard the spacecraft "Voyager 1" and "Voyager 2" in 1977.
The Vienna symphonic orchestra under the direction of chief conductor Peter Bohpka will perform "Blue Danube" on May 31 at a special event at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. The melody will be streamed via the deep space antenna ESA channel in Spain, directed towards the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which will be reached in 23 hours and 3 minutes for the continuation of its journey through space.
Despite the popularity of "Blue Danube" as one of the most famous musical compositions associated with space, it was also missing from the golden records sent to the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. This brief piece, lasting 10 minutes, stands out with its beauty, liveliness, and danceable rhythm, making it one of the most famous and beautiful waltzes in the world.
The director of the Vienna Tourism Board, Norbert Kitner, stated: "Stanley Kubrick's film '2001: A Space Odyssey' transformed 'Blue Danube' into the unofficial anthem of space. As part of our project with the European Space Agency, the melody will be aimed at Voyager 1 during its journey between the stars, as it is the most distant object from Earth, already over 25 billion kilometers away." This musical event, which will last an entire hour, will be streamed from three main locations: in Vienna's Stadtpark, in Bryant Park near Times Square in New York, and outside the deep space antenna in Madrid. The global public will also be able to follow the event via online streaming.
