What's the secret behind the Vienna Philharmonic's unique sound?

The Vienna Philharmonic is a legendary orchestra renowned for its unique sound and famous sweeping waltzes played at its New Year's concert.

But what makes it so special? What’s the secret behind the Viennese sound?

"The special thing and somehow what the whole world envies us for is the rhythm and how we sense it. The anticipation of the second note that comes a bit earlier, and the third note that comes a little later. And that’s combined with a beautiful melody that’s been tailor-made for our orchestra,” says the Vienna Philharmonic's First Violin and Chairman, Daniel Froschauer. 

But the distinctive Viennese sound goes far beyond iconic waltzes. It’s also shaped through passion and craftsmanship.

Benjamin Morrison regularly takes his instrument to the violinmaker. For the New Zealander, care and precision are vital in maintaining the instrument’s rich sound.

“I notice this again and again in sound settings, especially when musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic come to me, that the focus is on the quality of the sound, on a richer sound and a warm timbre,” Violin Maker Matthias Wolff told Musica. 

“You can change the sound to an incredible extent with some small things. First of course the bridge, where it’s positioned, how much is cut out of it. There are so many elements just with the bridge, that can have a huge effect on the sound,” Wolff adds.

Shaping the sound through the way a musician plays is key for Austrian clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer and French bassoonist Sophie Dervaux.

"It’s very difficult to pin it down to one thing. It has a lot to do with tradition, of course, but I'm not sure if it’s simply just the sound," says Ottensamer. 

Dervaux agrees, "It’s something special...for example, you would never play too