Sissi

The Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra welcomes 2026 with a Viennese atmosphere in a programme full of operettas and waltzes. The highlight of this programme is the famous operetta Sissy by Fritz Kreisler, dedicated to the beloved Princess Sisi of the Bavarian royal House of Wittelsbach and later Empress Elisabeth, the longest-reigning in Austria.

Through a “special Greek lesson,” inspired by those she took with the Greek writer and poet Konstantinos Chrestomanos, we will be introduced to lesser-known aspects of her unconventional personality, her deep love for the arts and for Greece, and everything that made the “sad princess” so beloved all over the world.

The programme also includes works by Lehár and by the “King of Waltz,” Johann Strauss Jr.

Programme

Johann Strauss Jr.: Overture from the operetta Die Fledermaus
Fritz Kreisler: Duet (Sissy, Nené) “Ich glaube, das Glück hält mich heute im Arm” from the operetta Sissy
Franz Lehár: Aria (Prince Sou-Chong) “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz” from the operetta The Land of Smiles
Fritz Kreisler: Duet (Ilona, Kében) “Jeden Mann selbst ein Philister” from the operetta Sissy
Johann Strauss Jr.: Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Op. 214
Franz Lehár: Aria (Octavio) “Freunde, das Leben ist lebenswert” from the operetta Judith
Spyridon-Philiskos Samaras: Duet (Michalios–Aretousa) “It is a dream” from The Cretan Girl
Fritz Kreisler: Aria (Sissy) “Ich mache oft die Augen zu” from the operetta Sissy
Johann Strauss Jr.: Éljen a Magyar!, Hungarian Polka, Op. 332
Johann Strauss Jr.: Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437
Fritz Kreisler: Duet (Max, Sissy) “Nimm von der Welt” from the operetta Sissy
Johann Strauss Jr.: Unter Donner und Blitz (Polka), Op. 437