Vienna Phil 2012 New Year's concert

[BBMmk2]

I avoid the New Year's Day Concert like the plague!! Not even the mighty Wiener Philharmoniker can dissuade me from watching their annual Viennese Fest!!

[Mr Pee]

I avoid the New Year's Day Concert like the plague!! Not even the mighty Wiener Philharmoniker can dissuade me from watching their annual Viennese Fest!!

Oh, I love it. To see these fantastic musicians playing this wonderful music is a great way to start the New Year. The 1992 event with Carlos Kleiber conducting is still one of my most treasured memories.

And in 2012 I will be watching in Hi-Def for the first time!!

I think the earlier suggestion that the concert should consist of a Bruckner symphony rather misses the point. It should be a light hearted way to ease into the New Year.I don't think I could cope with Bruckner on New Year's morning, much as I love the music.

[amateur51]

If you want to see sexism in action today, BBC television news bulletins have almost exclusively female sports correspondents in the studio with a summary of Saturday and Bank Holiday sports "news" (I don't actually regard sport as news, but a specialist interest just like classical music) - and this is of course a backlash against earlier days when it was all-male, but now seems to a have swung the other way.

That's not sexism as I understand it. It's an attempt to give female broadcasters experience in the field of sports broadcasting, surely. 'Sexism' is getting Moira Stewart to retire at 60 while David Dimbleby carries on at 72. They're both outstanding practitioners in their field - why does an age limit apply only to the female broadcaster?

[Ferretfancy]

Mr Pee,

There does seem to be a bit of a mean spirited attitude towards this event, heaven knows why. I always enjoy it, even the ballet sequences in the middle, which are gloriously old fashioned and none the worst for that. Then there's the little game of who is the first to spot Roger Moore in the audience while counting wealthy Japanese.
A agree too, that it's wonderful music which is all too often patronised, perhaps because British orchestras play it so badly!

So, hears to you, high definition, and the glorious Vienna Phil !

[Barbirollians]

I should prefer it if they adopted a Barbirolli approach and had Strauss etc in the second half and Mozart and Schubert say in the first - K271 and the Unfinished perhaps ! with maria Joao Pires the soloist !!!

[Panjandrum]

Somewhat surprising, given that equal oportunities for women are enshrined in their own constitution, that the BBC hasn't stopped taking these concerts.

[Mr Pee]

This is Georgie Thompson, one of the new Formula One presenters on Sky:-



Phwoar, etc, etc. Nudge Nudge.

[Biffo]

Jayne: If you grew up in Vienna and desperately wanted to play in the orchestra you could always try the excellent Vienna Symphony Orchestra. They are Vienna's main concert-giving orchestra.

[Petrushka]

Never heard of working mothers, Petrushka?

Just suppose you grew up in Vienna mad keen on playing in the orchestra... but you give up before you start, or make pretty damn sure to apply to other orchestras for a position, or think, long, sadly for a chance to play in THAT orchestra, THAT hall...
But you're female. So forget it. You ARE going to make babies soon, aren't you? Disappear into ALL THAT for ever and ever...

Oh come on! It doesn't have to compromise anything if they - if everyone - want it badly enough! It's called political will - long forgotten principle of human fairness.

Hi Jayne, Just reporting what the VPO were saying on this issue a few years ago, I didn't say I agree with it (I don't)!!!! Still find the annual argument tedious in the extreme though. Interesting that there hasn't been much comment on the actual programme so far. That's why I find this annual argument tedious because it detracts from the music and the event and just goes on and on.

The VPO constitution says that players have to serve as members of the State Opera orchestra for three years before being admitted to the august ranks of the VPO itself. It will therefore take time for women to be properly represented in the orchestra.

As for working mothers, some of my best friends etc, etc.

[jayne lee wilson]

Interesting and informative, petrushka, thanks.

Bb - good idea for a program! I'd overlooked it being in the morning, Bruckner could be a bit much at 11 (certainly would be for me now!) I remember a live VPO relay on R3 on a Sunday in the 70s at about 11, Bruckner 8 with Karl Bohm, gave up my lie-in but didn't care for the reading...
No-one around quite like Barbirolli now, is there? Schon, Sir John!

Hi Jayne, Just reporting what the VPO were saying on this issue a few years ago, I didn't say I agree with it (I don't)!!!! Still find the annual argument tedious in the extreme though. Interesting that there hasn't been much comment on the actual programme so far. That's why I find this annual argument tedious because it detracts from the music and the event and just goes on and on.

The VPO constitution says that players have to serve as members of the State Opera orchestra for three years before being admitted to the august ranks of the VPO itself. It will therefore take time for women to be properly represented in the orchestra.

As for working mothers, some of my best friends etc, etc.

[jayne lee wilson]

Georgie thinks: "give me back my Vienna Philharmonic t-shirt right now!"

I've loved watching F1 for ages and I don't (usually) go for blokes so Georgie is no discouragement - but Sky greed certainly is!
(exits, wringing hands...)

This is Georgie Thompson, one of the new Formula One presenters on Sky:-



Phwoar, etc, etc. Nudge Nudge.

[bluestateprommer]

According to the VPO website, however, the programme is not being announced until December 28 so interested to know how BSP has got hold of this info.

For Petrushka, it's not from any inside sources at the VPO, far from it. I gleaned it from this link:

http://www.amazon.de/Neujahrskonzert-2012-Ltd-German-Version/dp/tracks/B005WQ4FDU/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

[Mr Pee]

For Petrushka, it's not from any inside sources at the VPO, far from it. I gleaned it from this link:

http://www.amazon.de/Neujahrskonzert...s_all_1#disc_1

Why do the VPO bother with secrecy over the programme when Amazon splash it all over their website?? (D'OH emoticon...)

And Jayne Lee Wilson- we obviously have a lot in common- I've been watching Formula One for ages, and I also don't (usually) go for blokes...but then I am male.

Although I will be watching the F1 on Sky next year.....sorry!! (Let's hope Lewis Hamilton has a better season! )

[amateur51]

Somewhat surprising, given that equal oportunities for women are enshrined in their own constitution, that the BBC hasn't stopped taking these concerts.

I think you'll find that equal opportunities for men are equally so enshrined, Panyan

[EdgeleyRob]

This is Georgie Thompson, one of the new Formula One presenters on Sky:-



Phwoar, etc, etc. Nudge Nudge.

Does she present the programme dressed like that?
As for the new year concert