New Year's Day Concert 2017 VPO/Dudamel

[Dave2002]

Of course, the exception to the rule was Sir Thomas Beecham conducting for the Ballet Russe. Obviously, Sir Thomas wasn't going to take orders from ANYONE and he choose tempi that suited HIM. After a particularly 'rousing' Russian dance he beamed at the players and said 'well, that made the little buggers hop!'

Love it!

That might not have been a very PC thing to say, though.

I'm not sure that even Gergiev would dare to do ballet, and I'm not aware of him doing any.

Also Happy New Year to rfg and everyone else round here.

[Prommer]

Love it!

That might not have been a very PC thing to say, though.

I'm not sure that even Gergiev would dare to do ballet, and I'm not aware of him doing any.

Also Happy New Year to rfg and everyone else round here.

He has definitely done ballet - Nutcracker with the Mariinsky at least is online...

[Petrushka]

Dudamel continues to confound the doubters - and, yes, I'm one of them. However, glad on this occasion to be proved wrong. I'm sure he'll be invited back another year. Mind, 'Der Wiener Philharmoniker und ich, wünschen ihnen' can't be that difficult to say without making a mess of it!

A most enjoyable concert but there was a big difference in the body language and smiles coming from the orchestra when they played A Thousand and One Nights - at last one of the truly great Strauss waltzes. The programme could have done with a couple more as the playing here was sublime, better even than it was elsewhere.

[Bryn]

He has definitely done ballet - Nutcracker with the Mariinsky at least is online...

Really? How's his grand Jeté?

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I can never watch this concert without wondering what the net worth of the audience would be.

...and where they'd have to go to withdraw it.

[Richard Barrett]

I can never watch this concert without wondering what the net worth of the audience would be.

In one of his vapid commentaries Petroc Trelawney said "Vienna is full of old masters" but, listening from the next room, I could have sworn he said "Vienna is full of old bastards."

Surely it doesn't matter much who conducts this concert? You could put anyone on the rostrum and it would sound good.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Dudamel continues to confound the doubters - and, yes, I'm one of them. However, glad on this occasion to be proved wrong.

- isn't it brilliant when that happens!

Happy New Year, Pet - I hope all such doubts have equally rewarding confoundations!

[Richard Tarleton]

I greatly enjoyed that. The outdoor bits were lovely. A few random thoughts:

Never mind the dancers, next year can we have the horses in the Hall?

Presumably conductors with hay fever need not apply. Some serious pollen from those flowers.

I wish to avoid racial stereotyping here, but a few audience members were too busy filming on their mobiles to clap to the Radetzky March

I wonder who that lady in the green off-the-shoulder number was, the camera kept returning to her.

I thought there was something different about the orchestra's outfits this year

By the way, watching on BBC2, the red button appeared in the top right of the screen at the end of the concert, enabling us to watch the first half (having already listened to it).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Dudamel was up there with the best of them for the New Year concert - Boskovsky, Maazel, Karajan & Kleiber.

[Petrushka]

I greatly enjoyed that. The outdoor bits were lovely. A few random thoughts:

Never mind the dancers, next year can we have the horses in the Hall?

Presumably conductors with hay fever need not apply. Some serious pollen from those flowers.

I wish to avoid racial stereotyping here, but a few audience members were too busy filming on their mobiles to clap to the Radetzky March

I wonder who that lady in the green off-the-shoulder number was, the camera kept returning to her.

I thought there was something different about the orchestra's outfits this year

By the way, watching on BBC2, the red button appeared in the top right of the screen at the end of the concert, enabling us to watch the first half (having already listened to it).

The whole concert enjoyed an immediate repeat on Red Button channel 601 - why doesn't the BBC strongly advertise what they are doing? Bizarre.

I'm assuming the lady in the green off-the-shoulder number was Mrs Dudamel?

Following hard on the heels of the BBC4 Simon Sebag Montiefore series the Vienna Tourist industry must be rubbing their hands.

[Barbirollians]

Excellent NYD concert from Dudamel and the VPO . I suspect he will be invited back .According to wikipedia Muti is to return to conduct the concert next year for the first time since 2004 .

[Stanfordian]

The charismatic 'Dude' excelled and I hope becomes a regular at the Vienna New Year's Concert from now on.

I noticed Juan Diego Flórez in the audience. Spotted by the camera early. Pity he couldn't have sung something after all he has sung
in Lehár’s Die lustige Witwe and Johan Strauss II's Die Fledermaus.

[kernelbogey]

Prosit Neujahr!

[Richard Barrett]

Prosit Neujahr!

Indeed so. And I thought the programme was really very interesting. I don't really see why the same few numbers need to be aired every year when there are so many more which I'd hardly if ever come across before, like Josef's Die Nasswalderin which I particularly liked.

[Dave2002]

I'm assuming the lady in the green off-the-shoulder number was Mrs Dudamel?

Possibly - but I didn't notice.

See Eloísa Knife Maturén - maybe - maybe not!