New Year's Day Concert 2017 VPO/Dudamel

[Tetrachord]

It's Downton Abbey with better tunes.

You need to go to the Musikverein website and see how those tickets are obtained. They are expensive but a lot of money is raised for charity when the tickets go to auction. It's mostly celebrities (I spotted Julie Andrews, who introduced the American telecast) and I'm sure the Austrian Chancellor was there with his entourage etc. And there are people there from a large number of different nationalities. It's an occasion.

Downtown Abbey is a tired old series about boring English aristocrats that English television does so well, over and over and over...

[Tetrachord]

Carlos Kleiber in the audience?

No, in 1975 Carlos Kleiber had a thick head of brown hair and no grey. Here's something taken just 5 years earlier: ABSOLUTELY BLOODY GORGEOUS!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty_sFEn46P8

"When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night...."

[Petrushka]

I attended a Vienna Philharmonic concert in the Musikverein in May 2008 (Mahler 3 with Semyon Bychkov) and no-one in their right mind could ever call me rich! I went along in my best suit, which, like me, has seen better days, and remained impervious to death stares if there were any.

It was easy to book online, collect the ticket etc. Had a wonderful time and I fully recommend a visit.

[Tetrachord]

I attended a Vienna Philharmonic concert in the Musikverein in May 2008 (Mahler 3 with Semyon Bychkov) and no-one in their right mind could ever call me rich! I went along in my best suit, which, like me, has seen better days, and remained impervious to death stares if there were any.

It was easy to book online, collect the ticket etc. Had a wonderful time and I fully recommend a visit.

A lot of the people who go there are in a similar situation to you and me; I've seen them walking out of very standard apartment blocks to get onto the U4 at my station to go to the Musikverein when I was living there. I can assure you that "rich" doesn't define quite a lot of the Viennese who attend the Musikverein regularly. I always used to know who was going there when I was on the train because everybody was well dressed; sure enough we'd alight together at Karlsplatz and walk briskly in the same direction!!

We're going back for 3 months next year (health permitting) and for this we go without a new car and ours is 10 years old now. Well worth the sacrifice; oh yes.

[Prommer]

No, in 1975 Carlos Kleiber had a thick head of brown hair and no grey. Here's something taken just 5 years earlier: ABSOLUTELY BLOODY GORGEOUS!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty_sFEn46P8

Have now spotted the chap gradus may have meant, and no, it is definitely not Kleiber.

[CallMePaul]

I thought Dudamel had done his homework well and conducting from memory when so many of these pieces sound the same (to my untutored ear I hasten to add!). I think Karajan set off on the wrong piece in his NYDC outing. Does any one know if Sir Simon has been asked to do the honours?

I believe that he conducts the Berlin Phil in a NYD concert so will not be available until he moves to the LSO

[Tetrachord]

How's this for a conducting style??!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU0Ubs2KYUI

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... or even this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE9r1LkRCV0

[vinteuil]

.

... and of course :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0REJ-lCGiKU

[ How much did Bernstein get PAID! ]

[Barbirollians]

I did not understand anyone to suggest that it was a bling audience always at the Musikverein . The point is that the NYD concert has now become a very exclusive event when the attire of the audience in the 1975 video suggested that was not the case then .

[Richard Barrett]

I did not understand anyone to suggest that it was a bling audience always at the Musikverein.

I was just about to point that out. I've been there myself, in my usual attire (stylish but casual ) - I would have enjoyed the opportunity to return a death stare or two but sadly none were forthcoming.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I did not understand anyone to suggest that it was a bling audience always at the Musikverein . The point is that the NYD concert has now become a very exclusive event when the attire of the audience in the 1975 video suggested that was not the case then .

[Prommer]

Did I hear correctly that the leader was Rainer Honeck? if so, any relation to Manfred Honeck, once of that parish?

[Prommer]

I did not understand anyone to suggest that it was a bling audience always at the Musikverein . The point is that the NYD concert has now become a very exclusive event when the attire of the audience in the 1975 video suggested that was not the case then .

Well, yes, and no... You are behind the times if you think the very wealthy always dress 'well'.

In fact, often grungily, though seldom actually cheaply... though that may not always be obvious to the naked eye.

Except for those (now rather rare) hermitic billionaires whose meanness extends to themselves...!

You are right that most of the senior-ish and horrendously white crowd here appear to 'dress up' a bit, and relatively formally. Erm, middle class Viennese burghers, in other words. (Without much obvious relish...)

[Alison]

Did I hear correctly that the leader was Rainer Honeck? if so, any relation to Manfred Honeck, once of that parish?

I was wondering the same. I missed a few of the familiar faces in the violins this year. Must confess I find the leader a very attractive gentleman!