“Listen carefully for the Blue Danube Waltz, and when you hear those famous first notes, applaud like you’ve never applauded before, and the conductor may just have to start the piece again!” I’m not sure exactly why that would be necessary, but apparently that’s what happens at the New Year’s concert sponsored partly by Vienna’s cultural council. Its like a live PBS pledge drive without all the interruptions. The event happens concurrently in two dozen cities across the US and Canada. In our case, the Rhode Island Philharmonic plays alongside the Strauss Symphony Orchestra, and there’s also a Ukrainian ballet company and some dancers from the competitive European ballroom circuit.