Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2018

[Keraulophone]

There was was just a sense of routine, (or possibly jet-lag), about the whole affair. Something I could never accuse Die Berliner Philharmoniker of.

Watching (ehem) any item of the Berlin Philharmonic's 2017 New Year's Eve concert would prove the truth of this. Simon Rattle doesn't seem to have to make them sparkle, they just do so anyway. Unlike so many of our home grown bands, the players look as though they really want to be there doing what they do. The light-but-serious programme of Dvorak, Stravinsky, R.Strauss (Joyce DiDonato on good form), Bernstein, Shostakovich and Brahms was delivered with panache, and a world away from Riccardo Muti and his tightly reined-in orchestra. As has been shown via video links above, to get this feeling from the New Year's Day Concert from Vienna, one has to go back to Willi Boskovsky, C.K. excepted.

https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/51099

[cloughie]

It may be sponsored by ROLEX, but that doesn't mean I have to watch it.....

....even though you may have the time!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Those of you getting off topic should watch out!

[cloughie]

Those of you getting off topic should watch out!

You've clocked them then mein host?

[Barbirollians]

Perhaps they could go the while hog and copy the Halle Ball of the 1950s - take the seats out and have a waltz or two in a joint production with Strictly .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Perhaps they could go the while hog and copy the Halle Ball of the 1950s - take the seats out and have a waltz or two in a joint production with Strictly .

The Hallé Ball was still going in the 1960s. Presumably its popularity lapsed, but some friends of my parents went every year and said it was superb.

But a joint production with Strictly? Noooooooooooooooo!

[Barbirollians]

The Hallé Ball was still going in the 1960s. Presumably its popularity lapsed, but some friends of my parents went every year and said it was superb.

But a joint production with Strictly? Noooooooooooooooo!

Even worse - after his foray into that celeb conducting competition which crassly led to Act 2 of La Boheme being repeated under his "guidance' with a junior cast Craig Revel Horwood would probably want to conduct

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Even worse - after his foray into that celeb conducting competition which crassly led to Act 2 of La Boheme being repeated under his "guidance' with a junior cast Craig Revel Horwood would probably want to conduct

Don't get me started on celeb competitions.

[underthecountertenor]

One orchestra referred to him as Franz Worse than Most.

I thought it was 'Frankly Worse Than Most' (the orchestra in question being the LPO).

[Alison]

I thought it was 'Frankly Worse Than Most' (the orchestra in question being the LPO).

Makes you wonder why they appointed him in the first place

[LHC]

Makes you wonder why they appointed him in the first place

They needed a new MD after Tennstedt’s resignation, and he had impressed them in a guest performance. Unfortunately, once he took up his appointment it quickly became clear to all involved that he was too young and ill-prepared for such a high profile role. The Frankly Worst than Most tag has haunted him in the UK especially ever since, even though he has done some good things elsewhere. He was a very good MD at The Zurich Opera.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I thought it was 'Frankly Worse Than Most' (the orchestra in question being the LPO).

Yes, you are correct.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Looking down the list of NYD conductors, the beacons of light included Krauss, Boskovsky, Maazel, Karajan and Kleiber. None of these are particularly recent though.

[Barbirollians]

Looking down the list of NYD conductors, the beacons of light included Krauss, Boskovsky, Maazel, Karajan and Kleiber. None of these are particularly recent though.

The Abbado and Pretre concerts were also very good as I recall .

[kernelbogey]

[...]Another point to consider is that the players will be guarding against any diluting of their famed sound which is so often handed down from father to son. The professors teach others and hand down their techniques to their successors.[...]

Could anyone put words to what their famed sound is - and what it is that is being taught or 'handed down'? I'm aware that this question borders on the absurd, but I did notice that there was something very different about the sound of the Boskovksy clip which someone posted. A softer, perhaps slightly schmaltzy sound in that instance. Obviously what is taught/bequeated will vary from section to section, but I hope the musicians here might have a go at a definition.