Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2024

[Barbirollians]

This is so lumpen for the VPO.

The least magical most pulled about Blue Danube I have ever heard.

[kernelbogey]

Gosh this is rather dull so far . Thielemann just strikes me as too stiff for this music.

[Alison]

‘Only fair’ as my geography teacher invariably remarked. Not really enough New Year fizz. A few nice smiles from the orchestra though my dad couldn’t come up with a favourite female this year, not even the lady bringing on the flowers. That kind of morning, perhaps. Would have preferred a newcomer next year but not Marin Alsop.

[Petrushka]

This was my 52nd New Year's Day concert and one that completely lacked the requisite fizz and sparkle. Unusually, most of the music new to these concerts wasn't of good quality. The Bruckner was totally forgettable. The orchestra were being kept on too tight a rein throughout.

Where was the humour, the lightness of touch?

I'll be playing Boskovsky in 1974 this evening to show how it should be done. It's on YT if anyone wants to follow suit.

[Prommer]

This is so lumpen for the VPO.

The least magical most pulled about Blue Danube I have ever heard.

I thought the 'interpretation' and sense of rhythm good, but the VPO simply lacks the sheen and elegance (and idiomatic playing) of thirty years ago, and cannot carry off what Thielemann is looking for when being 'pulled about'.

See Kleiber's concerts on YouTube. Obviously, he had a lot to do with it, but still...

[Prommer]

I heard a story where apparently the late Sir Georg Solti used to compare the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House unfavourably with the Vienna Philharmonic. They were rehearsing Rosenkavalier when Solti made a remark about how the last time he conducted this work was with the Vienna Philharmonic to which a trombonist remarked rather loudly that the last time THEY had played this work was with Carlos Kleiber…’

A great story! Solti back in his box.

[Prommer]

Ah, here is more on the concertmaster/leader mystery today

https://slippedisc.com/2024/01/vienna-phil-switches-concertmaster/

[LMcD]

I thought the 'interpretation' and sense of rhythm good, but the VPO simply lacks the sheen and elegance (and idiomatic playing) of thirty years ago, and cannot carry off what Thielemann is looking for when being 'pulled about'.

See Kleiber's concerts on YouTube. Obviously, he had a lot to do with it, but still...

Does it really matter who the conductor is for this concert? I'm sure the VPO could cope perfectly well if the podium were removed - and this would help ease the crowding on the stage.

[Petrushka]

Ah, here is more on the concertmaster/leader mystery today

https://slippedisc.com/2024/01/vienn...concertmaster/

I felt that Honeck wasn't entirely happy with the way things were going from time to time. Thielemann isn't really the right sort of conductor for this music which needs a light touch and not kept in a straitjacket.

I agree with Alison that this concert needs a new face. The concert doesn't really require a big name conductor to be a success. I wouldn't mind betting that one or two members of the orchestra could do a good job.

[oddoneout]

The interval tv feature on Bruckner is pretty bizarre even by ORF standards. The lady playing an organ without pipes on a barge in a lake had a touch of Python to it.

Yes it was distinctly weird - mind, those two boys must have been pretty fit by the end of it... I don't think it did much for the tourism angle, given the multiple shots of unidentified (or unexplained) buildings and statues of a grumpy man, to the soundtrack of indifferent music played in strange ways. Mind you, I did enjoy the coverage of free range double basses, and I correctly guessed that the choir at the end would sing "Locus iste".
The lady in red on the barge struck me as an accident waiting to happen - that big floaty inflammable dress adjacent to wind-fanned braziers.
For Bruckner fans I doubt it held much appeal, and for pretty much everyone else it was probably "whatever", or variations thereof.
Certainly didn't compare at any level(even just that of pretty pictures) with previous efforts.
Got bored, so I went and did some gardening in the sunshine - seemed a better way to welcome the New Year...
There seemed to be quite a few empty seats in the hall - is that usual? Odd when there also seemed to be quite a lot of people standing elsewhere.

[LMcD]

The interval tv feature on Bruckner is pretty bizarre even by ORF standards. The lady playing an organ without pipes on a barge in a lake had a touch of Python to it.

I'm sure Ken Russell would have enjoyed it.
Many of the posts relating to this year's concert seem to deal with the suitability or otherwise of various conductors, rather than what was actually played. I tuned in briefly, watched Pizzicato Polka 2.0 and 'Ohne Bremsen', which sounded just like every other high-speed railway-inspired polka or galop. and then decided I'd rather watch Rostropovich play a Haydn cello concerto.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I'm sure Ken Russell would have enjoyed it.
Many of the posts relating to this year's concert seem to deal with the suitability or otherwise of various conductors, rather than what was actually played. I tuned in briefly, watched Pizzicato Polka 2.0 and 'Ohne Bremsen', which sounded just like every other high-speed railway-inspired polka or galop. and then decided I'd rather watch Rostropovich play a Haydn cello concerto.

What a bizarre experience that was. Just had a feeling that band and baton waver were sleepwalking through it all.The interval feature was as cheesy as usual. The “problem” is that the quality of Bruckner’s music shows up Strauss et al for the rather lovely candy floss it is. That brass arrangement of the 8th finale was staggeringly well played.

[hmvman]

I would agree that the concert this year did seem rather flat and routine compared with last year's. However, I find myself repeating what I wrote last year as my view hasn't changed:

This concert is what it is, a light confection for an international audience and as such I enjoy it. After our NYE of entertaining with an early hours bedtime, this concert is a very pleasant way of easing into New Year's Day; I don't think I'm ready for an 'exciting' concert at that stage!

[CallMePaul]

I felt that Honeck wasn't entirely happy with the way things were going from time to time. Thielemann isn't really the right sort of conductor for this music which needs a light touch and not kept in a straitjacket.

I agree with Alison that this concert needs a new face. The concert doesn't really require a big name conductor to be a success. I wouldn't mind betting that one or two members of the orchestra could do a good job.

Sadly it's Muti again next year! The orchestra members may love him but it really is time for a new face.

[Petrushka]

Sadly it's Muti again next year! The orchestra members may love him but it really is time for a new face.

Muti understands the VPO very well and is very good at conducting this music, witness his audience-less 2021 NYDC which is among the better ones of recent efforts. Moreover, 2025 will be the bicentenary of the birth of Johann Strauss (son) so the VPO might well want an experienced hand on the tiller and a big name on the CD cover.

When Boskovsky succeeded Clemens Krauss in 1955 he was the orchestra's concertmaster and was doubtful of his ability to take it on. In the end he was there for 25 years.

The big names are fast disappearing. The orchestra need to promote someone to take it on before the major names have gone completely. I'd feel fairly sure that someone within their own ranks could produce the goods. Younger conductors of this concert, such as Nelsons and Thielemann, don't seem to have much feeling for the music. Welser-Möst did a fine NYDC last year and I'd hope that he gets invited back soon.