New Year's Day Concert 2017 VPO/Dudamel

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks Pet!

[Petrushka]

Thanks Pet!

No problem, though I did mention it in message 8 above!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

All I can say is that the orchestra is playing at its very best this morning.

[Dave2002]

I'm looking forward to the ballet bits, and to the scenes from the Viennese countryside

(No, really )

Asks silly quesion ....

Presumably the ballet bits are pre-recorded - looks like summer, and how are the dancers syncing to the music in the hall?

[Prommer]

Like Richard, I rather enjoy the extras. Some good looking dancers are no hindrance to pleasure!

Nor are the pleasing number of (rather attractive and elegant) women dotted around the orchestra.

Wonderful playing, agreed. The Dude is bringing some youthful vigour to this, for which many thanks, fan as I was of Pretre, who had bottled a more vintage fizz...

[pastoralguy]

Just waiting for the close up of Julie Andrews...

[Prommer]

Just waiting for the close up of Julie Andrews...

Ach, tradition...

[Prommer]

Anyone yet aware of who will be conducting next year?

[Dave2002]

Interesting rules for the VPO:

* Only a musician who plays in the Vienna State Opera Orchestra (originally Court Opera Orchestra) can become a member of the Vienna Philharmonic
* The orchestra is artistically, organizationally and financially autonomous, and all decisions are reached on a democratic basis during the general meeting of all members.
*The day-to-day management is the responsibility of a democratically elected body, the administrative committee.

The first rule, linking performance in opera is one which would be difficult for many orchestras, not being near anywhere where opera is an option, but could it be helpful for a few? Possibly a factor in the way the VPO plays.

Other orchestras have rules, but probably few require a link to opera.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I will also take the opportunity of pointing out, as happens annually in this parish, that the Danube is not blue.

Well - strictly speaking, water is a pale shade of blue, and appears so from outer space.

So the Danube, which looks almost black, sourced in the Black Forest and ending in the Black Sea, really is blue.

[Prommer]

I fancy Dudamel has been watching tapes of Kleiber conducting-dancing his way through this concert....

[Dave2002]

For a few seconds I thought we were going to get the horses synced to the music - but no! Running around in the fileds is not the same....

[pastoralguy]

Interesting rules for the VPO:

The first rule, linking performance in opera is one which would be difficult for many orchestras, not being near anywhere where opera is an option, but could it be helpful for a few? Possibly a factor in the way the VPO plays.

Other orchestras have rules, but probably few require a link to opera.

That was always Sir Alexander Gibson's dream for orchestral music in Scotland. His plan was to have an orchestra that would combine Scottish Opera duties with being a symphony orchestra. Alas, the SNO players had other ideas.

[pastoralguy]

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

[Dave2002]

That was always Sir Alexander Gibson's dream for orchestral music in Scotland. His plan was to have an orchestra that would combine Scottish Opera duties with being a symphony orchestra. Alas, the SNO players had other ideas.

One could also ask "why specifically opera?" - couldn't there be a link to ballet too? I do know conductors who refuse to go anywhere near ballet, on the grounds that it's too rigid, and don't want to be subservient to dance. Which makes me wonder if many of the really significant conductors of the past ever conducted ballet - Walter, Klemperer, Toscanini, Giulini etc.

I don't think all ballet has to be like that, and some performances could probably benefit from conductors with a bit of imagination, but what do I know?
Obviously there might have to be compromises, but is that impossibly bad?