I've just listened to (and recorded) the Austrian Radio broadcast from their on-demand facility via the ORF website. The sound is quite superb and of CD quality. For those like Kernel Bogey you get the presentation in several languages including English but with linking announcements in German only. This feels really atmospheric and is much, much better than the R3 presentation. I urge everybody to try it out. It's there for 7 days.
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Last edited by Petrushka; 01-01-11, 20:00."The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink -
I still miss those radio days when we had New Year greetings in thirty odd languages !Comment
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From memory, Brian Kay also sounded detached from the hall atmosphere in the past. Chances are the presenter is in a closed announcer's box in the hall somewhere - certainly not in the body of the hall. I thought Petroc Trelawny did very well, and much preferred him to Brian Kay who always sounded bland and scripted.Comment
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You still can, Ferret, through the wonders of the internet. Here is the link for the Austrian Radio website: http://oe1.orf.at/#Originally posted by Ferretfancy View Post
Just click on the box top right that says 7Tage, click on the correct day then click on Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker. For the second half, click the next programme (the interval feature) and move the slider along about 24 minutes.
I did this and recorded it in very impressive sound quality."The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard HaitinkComment
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Albena Danailova on the front desk has been one of the orchestra's concertmasters for a year or two and I suppose we ought to know of her as she has led the LPO. Here are all four of them in their new outfits!Originally posted by subcontrabass View Post
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Did anyone notice that FW-M had a score? Is this not most unusual? I cannot recall any others using one...Comment
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I wasn't aware that others had not used a score. Does anyone have DVDs of earlier New Year's Day concerts to confirm this, one way or the other?Comment
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As far as I can recall, some conductors have used scores, some haven't. I don't think FWM was unique in using one.Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View PostPatriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
Mark Twain.Comment
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Kleiber and Karajan concerts - no scores. Ditto Pretre.Comment
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...He only used it as a point of reference though...Comment
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When Beecham was asked why he used a score, he said that it was because he could read one!Comment
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From this side of the Atlantic, I'll start by using the same preface I wrote last year on the now-closed BBC R3 boards:
Julie Andrews took over the PBS telecast for 2010, but had to withdraw for 2011, to be with her husband, Blake Edwards, through his terminal illness. Paula Zahn, a morning breakfast talk-show host (and occasional cellist), took over on short notice. While she's chirpy as only a lady American breakfast talk-show host can be, she handled herself reasonably OK. The US/PBS edit (literally) of the TV broadcast was just the 2nd half of the concert, though presented pretty much in order, unlike in past years. I have to admit some enjoyment of the backstory of the "Cachucha-Galopp", especially of the performances by the dancer in the US at that time, the 1840's. One major gaffe was to put an announcement of "check out other programs at www.pbs.org" as a voice-over during the final bars of the Radeztky March."From this side of the pond, we have the disadvantage compared to you UK folks that we in the US do not get the whole concert on TV. We only get a selected portion, edited out of order, with fill-in segment that are part history lesson and part tourist advertisement for Vienna. (I love visiting Vienna, so I don't mind the last part, although I haven't been there since the last century.)"
It seems to be a quickly evolving tradition now to have dancers during the "Blue Danube" conclude their choreography in the Great Hall of the Musikverein now, as has happened for the past 3 New Year's concerts, if memory serves. For this year, it's a nice chance for the young dancers in training to shine, albeit in front of a worldwide audience, which can be a nerve-wracking thought.
The Rolex thing was on the PBS screens too before and after, but that's been going on here for a few years now on TV. This is because Rolex is a corporate sponsor of the VPO, as you'll note by looking at the upper left corner of the VPO's website:
On using scores, Muti was one other conductor who had the scores in front of him for the New Year's concert.
In addition, I do trust (but I'm not sure) that Mr P was being snarky in his comment on the 4 ladies in the VPO. Even if it's just for window dressing as a result of the Osborne-Conant campaigning over the years, the VPO might slowly be waking up to the fact that they can let women into the orchestra and the VPO's sound isn't suddenly going to collapse around them and it's not the end of Austrian civilization as they know it. I recognized Charlotte Balzereit in the harp section, as well as Albena Danailova in the second concertmaster's chair, but to give credit and names to all 4 ladies:
From left to right in the picture in the article:
Charlotte Balzereit-Zell (harp)
Olesya Kurylyak (section 1st violin)
Albena Danailova (co-concertmaster)
Isabelle Ballot (section 1st violin)
Oh, finally about FWM and the concert itself, where I must first admit that I'm far from the world's biggest FWM fan. He did fine with it, where he generally had the good sense to let them loose and stay out of the way. Ensemble was definitely crisper compared to Pretre last year, with indulgent stretchings-out not quite so frequent. As I did last year, I heard the ~11 AM webcast on NPR, with American commentary overlaid on Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz's ORF announcements. I had to dig a little to find the identity of the 1st encore, Eduard Strauss' "Ohne Aufenthalt", op. 112. Overall, I wouldn't say that any particular performance scaled the heights for me, although "Muthig voran!" was perhaps the most enjoyable quick number for me. Overall, it was very good, and in this world, that's fine.Comment
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I try to conduct without a score in concert. It's far better - until you make a mistake.
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Normally I like to catch the concert live on TV. I have been away for the weekend
and have just watched the second half that I recorded.
Initial response - somewhat underwhelmed. Maybe I'm just not in the right mood after a longish car journey
and the sense of Christmas vacation drawing towards and end. Strange how comparatively trifling matters
can mar the viewing experience. Yes, even the absence of Brian Kay took me a while to adjust to. Was he ever
so studiobound as Petroc sounded ? I never doubted Brian was in Vienna.
I imagine the poorish sound on TV didnt help, not much airiness or treble. I fully expect it all to seem a lot better
when I acquire the CD and DVD later this month. In the meanwhile I might just try Petrushka's audio link.
I wish I hadn't read the comments here first- it's so difficult to get words like 'staid' out of the mind !Comment
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..."Staid" perhaps- but safe & tight overal. A little more freedom might have been in order perhaps- but much is a matter of personal taste...Comment
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