Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2022

[bluestateprommer]

Here goes with the annual thread for the VPO's New Year's Day concert, 2022 version. First, standard links:

VPO: https://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/...arsconcert2022
ORF (Part 1, didn't think to look up Part 2 [oops]): https://oe1.orf.at/programm/20220101...moniker-Teil-1
BBC R3 (but this page erroneously reprints the info from last year's concert with Muti, corrections hopefully to arrive later): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001318l

The VPO's page shows a very recent, clearly omicron-related development and update on the allowed audience from the last time that I'd looked at the page:

"Due to necessary preventive measures which have been adopted on short notice, the Vienna Philharmonic finds itself obligated to reduce the number of persons in attendance at the New Year's Concerts 2021/22 to a maximum of 1000 per concert. This reduction and implementation of the 2G+ rule will enable guests who are vaccinated or recovered, and, in addition, produce a PCR test (valid up to 48 hours from sample extraction) and wear a FFP2 mask, to attend the concert.

According to Daniel Froschauer, Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic, "Even though these measures create an exceptional logistical challenge and necessitate a high degree of understanding and willingness to adapt, we are glad that this year the New Year's Concerts can once again take place with an audience in attendance. For all those concert visitors who due to this reduction cannot be present in the concert hall, seats for next year's concerts will be reserved."

Pretty tough conditions for entry, but in all honesty, good on the VPO for taking a tough line, to ensure that live concerts with an audience can still go on. Now, the question is whether the string players, percussionists, harpist, and conductor will all wear masks (uh, yeah, sure - probably not, but they should).

Here's the program(me), minus the one unknown & two standard encores, with (*) to mark works getting their first airings at the New Year's Concert, at least AFAICT:

https://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/en/konzerte/new-years-concert/10115/

Josef Strauß: Phönix-Marsch, op. 105 (*)
Johann Strauß II: Phönix-Schwingen. Walzer, op. 125
Josef Strauß: Die Sirene. Polka mazur, op. 248 (*)
Josef Hellmesberger (Sohn): Kleiner Anzeiger, Galop op. 4 (*)
Johann Strauß II: Morgenblätter. Walzer, op. 279
Eduard Strauß: Kleine Chronik. Polka schnell, op. 128 (*)

Johann Strauß II: Ouvertüre zur Operette "Die Fledermaus"
Johann Strauß II: Champagner-Polka. Musikalischer Scherz, op. 211
Carl Michael Ziehrer: Nachtschwärmer. Walzer, op. 466 (*)
Johann Strauß II: Persischer Marsch, op. 289
Johann Strauß II: Tausend und eine Nacht. Walzer, op. 346
Eduard Strauß: Gruß an Prag. Polka française, op. 144
Josef Hellmesberger (Sohn): Heinzelmännchen (*)
Josef Strauß: Nymphen-Polka, op. 50 (*)
Josef Strauß: Sphärenklänge (Music of the Spheres). Walzer, op. 235

Erroneous BBC reprints aside, it is very probably still correct that Petroc will present for R3. I'd incorrectly guessed that he'd travel to Vienna last year, and given the current situation with omicron, my guess is that this time, he'll stay in the UK and do remote commentary as presenter.

[Petrushka]

Thanks bsp. This will be my 51st NYDC and hence exactly 50 years since my very first in 1972 and I've heard every one since.

Perhaps the first two items were optimistically chosen given that the covid situation is barely any better than last time but the programme is a very good mix of the familiar and totally unknown. I'll be hoping for an absolute gem to emerge from the latter and am especially looking forward to hearing the Ziehrer waltz.

The Radio 3 page is still showing the info for the 2021 NYDC as I type and it's probably been done by the temporary staff who've been let loose again during the Christmas break. The BBC need to get a grip!

The Musikverein will paradoxically look even emptier with 1000 seats filled than it did in 2021 with no-one in at all, but it is what it is and we are where we are, so hoping that normality is restored in 2023. As I understand it, the VPO and Barenboim will have been triple vaccinated and will have to take a test both before and after the concert so masks shouldn't be necessary within the time frame of the concert. I'm at a loss, though, to understand why it's not possible to set up a couple of tents outside the hall and test the audience before entry. On the plus side, they would have a full house. However, on the negative side (no pun intended) it might be sending out a message that the privileged elite are exempt from such things.

Anyway, the music is the thing and, as usual, I'm looking forward to it.

[BBMmk2]

I’ll be avoiding this, most certainly, as I do, every year.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’ll be avoiding this, most certainly, as I do, every year.

I move mountains to hear this, on my birthday.
This year the “mountain” will be running the Parkrun quickly enough not to miss any of it.

[Mario]

I move mountains to hear this, on my birthday.

In which case, EA, best wishes for tomorrow!

Mario

... which, ahem, you share with Fergie, who is 80 years old.

[Sir Velo]

Fergie, who is 80 years old.

Is she that old? Seems like only yesterday she married Randy Andy.

[Mario]

Is she that old? Seems like only yesterday she married Randy Andy.

Mario

[oddoneout]

I move mountains to hear this, on my birthday.
This year the “mountain” will be running the Parkrun quickly enough not to miss any of it.

Not a problem I gather the Welsh devotees will have this year?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In which case, EA, best wishes for tomorrow!

Mario

... which, ahem, you share with Fergie, who is 80 years old.

Thank you, though Fergie's birthday is today. Mine is tomorrow.

[gradus]

Thank you, though Fergie's birthday is today. Mine is tomorrow.

No, Fergie was born in July along with his 4 tabby siblings and I've just fed him.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

No, Fergie was born in July along with his 4 tabby siblings and I've just fed him.

But getting back to Vienna, the Josef Strauß waltz, Music of the Spheres, is on this year’s programme. If you had to ask me for a favourite Strauß family waltz, this would be it.

[bluestateprommer]

Thanks bsp. This will be my 51st NYDC and hence exactly 50 years since my very first in 1972 and I've heard every one since.

Perhaps the first two items were optimistically chosen given that the covid situation is barely any better than last time but the programme is a very good mix of the familiar and totally unknown. I'll be hoping for an absolute gem to emerge from the latter and am especially looking forward to hearing the Ziehrer waltz.....

The Musikverein will paradoxically look even emptier with 1000 seats filled than it did in 2021 with no-one in at all, but it is what it is and we are where we are, so hoping that normality is restored in 2023. As I understand it, the VPO and Barenboim will have been triple vaccinated and will have to take a test both before and after the concert so masks shouldn't be necessary within the time frame of the concert. I'm at a loss, though, to understand why it's not possible to set up a couple of tents outside the hall and test the audience before entry. On the plus side, they would have a full house. However, on the negative side (no pun intended) it might be sending out a message that the privileged elite are exempt from such things.

Anyway, the music is the thing and, as usual, I'm looking forward to it.

Agree that the choices of works with "Phoenix" in the title is a bit of wishful thinking, but then this program was planned many months ago, as the VPO New Year's concerts are in general (mentioned in last year's thread in the one article). This NYT article from a week ago gives another, local historical reason:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/arts/music/vienna-philharmonic-new-years-concert.html

"Both the 'Phoenix March' by Josef Strauss, which opens the program this year, and the Johann Strauss waltz 'Phoenix Wings' are named for a company that manufactured carriages. The march was first performed in 1861 at a concert and garden fair to mark the opening of a new park in Vienna."

On entry, I would think that the stringency applied to the audience for entry would apply as well to the musicians, if not more so. In a bit over 10 hours time, of course, you shall all see & hear it 1st :) .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There’s a rather tiresome sequence of Facebook threads regarding future conductors of NYD concerts. I suggest that it doesn’t make a great deal of difference who’s at the podium. The Vienna Philharmonic has this music in its DNA and will play this music magnificently. The only conductor who I felt inhibited them was Harnoncourt, but others may disagree.

[kernelbogey]

The programme on the R3 website appears to be substantially (or completely) inaccurate.

https://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/en/konzerte/new-years-concert/10115/

[Frances_iom]

was it last year's programme? - some one has already commented on the poor writeup