Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2025

[gurnemanz]

The simplest connection between your TV and you HiFi will be via HDMI, if your amp has HDMI inputs (as your TV is relatively new it will have multiple HDMI inputs/outputs). if you can, use the connections marked arc/earc and the transfer of sound from TV to amp will be almost automatic.

My amp, Marantz 6006, does not have HDMI input but this is not needed. The amp is near the telly and they are permanently connected with an optical lead. This works very well because the speakers are either side of the TV set. I never use the TV's own speakers.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Seconded, though was the audio actually compressed? Even allowing for the limited TV sound - which could probably be improved by feeding to an external amp and better speakers, I felt that the dynamics were subdued. Looked to me as though the players were actually playing at "realistic" levels - and following Muti - so did the "engineers" tamper with the sound and compress the life out of it?

There are so many stages in the broadcast chain where compression can be introduced it’s impossible to be sure where it’s being introduced. Even controlling the level of an instrument through using a fader is a form of level control if not overt compression. I’m told that the effective dynamic range on FM these days from my relay is about 40db. I reckon freeview on my tv is even less than that. A live symphony orchestra is probably around 70 to 80 db range from quietest pianissimo to full blast . Possibly less for a lighter weight Strauss band,
I didn’t find the FM sound particularly compressed by todays standards.

I might give the sounds recording a listen later. One thing the balance on the TV version might be very different from the Radio . They tend to do a different TV balance with a “wider “ sound stage to compensate for the fact that most people have a sound bar with poor (ie too close ) left and right channel separation . The problem is that doesn’t sound so good on a well set up hifi.

[Petrushka]

This was the best NYDC for many years, up there in my view with Karajan in 1987 and Kleiber in 1989 and 1992.

Muti has a real feel for this music and drew fabulous playing from the Vienna Philharmonic.

Big contrast with last year.

Yannick next year? Not really my cup of tea but we'll see.

[Prommer]

This was the best NYDC for many years, up there in my view with Karajan in 1987 and Kleiber in 1989 and 1992.

Muti has a real feel for this music and drew fabulous playing from the Vienna Philharmonic.

Big contrast with last year.

Agreed - and I am a fan of Herr Thielemann's Strauss (R.) and Wagner.

It was up there with the brace of Prêtre concerts. Not sure it was quite in the Kleiber and Karajan categories, but damn good.

Not quite sure how Muti does it... but they loved him. I liked his tempi, Viennese style, and interpretative flourishes, even in the Blue Danube and Radetsky.

[LHC]

My amp, Marantz 6006, does not have HDMI input but this is not needed. The amp is near the telly and they are permanently connected with an optical lead. This works very well because the speakers are either side of the TV set. I never use the TV's own speakers.

Not all modern TVs have optical outputs. Increasingly TVs rely instead on HDMI for all connectivity. If Dave2002's TV and amp both have optical connections, that would be provide an easy and effective solution to his issue.

[Petrushka]

Agreed - and I am a fan of Herr Thielemann's Strauss (R.) and Wagner.

It was up there with the brace of Prêtre concerts. Not sure it was quite in the Kleiber and Karajan categories, but damn good.

Not quite sure how Muti does it... but they loved him. I liked his tempi, Viennese style, and interpretative flourishes, even in the Blue Danube and Radetsky.

The Karajan concert in 1987 left me buzzing for weeks and is unlikely to be bettered this side of the pearly gates. Kleiber was only a notch behind. Muti today was just a tiny notch behind. Pretre didn't really do it for me. My memories go back to Boskovsky from 1972 and he it was who showed me Strauss playing of the highest level.

I don't know how Muti does it either. It's a mystery how his gestures produced such glowing results but they did. His 2021 'lockdown' NYDC was also very good.

[oddoneout]

Only criticism so far: Muti should be in morning dress and could afford to crack a smile!

I thought at first he seemed rather solemn, but then the sun came out and the visual exchanges with the players started - almost a sense of mischief at some points, as if they were all part of some entertaining comedy.
It's been a long time since I've spent so much time watching(and enjoying) the conductor - usually I focus on the players.

[oddoneout]

You have to be very careful with sync issues - sometimes things appear out of sync and they aren’t . There’s even the phenomenon of people who appear to talk out of sync.

Although I think the end of the Britten clip was rather more than synching issues - I'm not convinced that what I was seeing on screen was what was actually being played by the oboist.

[oddoneout]

Probably includes Israel, [as per Eurovision] but this listing only has 44. Need to check EBU country lists to get an answer I guess.

https://www.worldometers.info/geography/how-many-countries-in-europe/

56 countries(rather more members though) according to this

https://www.ebu.ch/about/members

.

[Prommer]

Book Blomstedt for his 100th year!

[Petrushka]

Book Blomstedt for his 100th year!

Always wished that at least one conductor would make it to conducting their 100th birthday concert. Some have nearly got there but none has made it.

Personally, I've been saying for some time that they should book Manfred Honeck. He's a former member of the Vienna Philharmonic but perhaps they don't like former members who jump ship so it won't happen.

[richardfinegold]

Her record of Vivaldi bassoon concertos definitely one of the highlights of 2024 (nearly said this year!).

. I have her CD of Vanhal and Mozart concertos, a definite keeper

[richardfinegold]

Regarding TV sound, I use AVRs in both my systems that have TVswith HDMI inputs for both over the air input and also from Apple TV. Some TVs will also have SPDIF or Toslink outputs for sound. You can run those connections to a DAC that doesn't have HDMI inputs. Not sure if Dav'es Marantz amp has an internal DAC or if he is using a seperate DAC. THere are some streamers that are including HDMI inputs so that people can plug their TVs in ofr better sound. iFi probably makes one ofr just a few hundred quid

[MickyD]

I thought at first he seemed rather solemn, but then the sun came out and the visual exchanges with the players started - almost a sense of mischief at some points, as if they were all part of some entertaining comedy.
It's been a long time since I've spent so much time watching(and enjoying) the conductor - usually I focus on the players.

Check out the two concerts conducted by Harnoncourt... I've never seen so much face pulling!?

[Petrushka]

Check out the two concerts conducted by Harnoncourt... I've never seen so much face pulling!?

Those two concerts with Harnoncourt (2001 and 2003) were my least favourite by some considerable margin. I bought the subsequent CDs 'for the record' but have not played them since. Harnoncourt was a genius in some things but not here.