New Year concert/VPO nyd fwm

[Alison]

Sorry. Is that better?

Fanks x

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[Hornspieler]

No, the total is six - 2 x violins, 2 x violas, 3rd flute and harp - although the flautist has only played in Wagner so far... clearly Strauss is beneath her.

Just as well that she was wearing trousers, then.

Seriously though, I thought this was the best performance of the Viennese waltz style of playing that I have heard since Wili Boskowski.
Just goes to show that native talent is best - whether it be with Johan Strauss or Ralph Vaughan Williams.
(And thank goodness the ballet was reduced to a minimum this year)

Happy New Year to you all

HS

[Pabmusic]

...It might not be great music, but much of it is good music, of its kind. & anyway, it made a very good accompaniment to preparing the veg for Christmas dinner.

Of course the repertoire contains great music - why should greatness depend on how well it compares with A, or B, or C? And as if there existed such a concept as essential greatness, anyway! Many pieces by each of the Strausses are 'great' by any reasonable definition, and many are 'ordinary' (as you would expect from people who had to produce something new at every concert).

[I will say though that my opinion might be different if I were a second violin or a viola player (Leroy Anderson is another culprit here). But I'm not.]

[Historian]

Just as well that she was wearing trousers, then.
(And thank goodness the ballet was reduced to a minimum this year)
HS

I know many people find the dance sequences a distraction. However, my daughter, who is much more interested in dance than in classical music at the moment, watched the second dance sequence and greatly enjoyed it. She then stayed to watch the rest of the concert. Whether you think this was a good thing or not might depend on your point of view towards the whole exercise. However, I am glad that she has now listened to the V.P.O.. I didn't question her as to whether she had counted the number of female players.

Prosit Neujahr!

[Richard Tarleton]

Just as well that she was wearing trousers, then.

Seriously though, I thought this was the best performance of the Viennese waltz style of playing that I have heard since Wili Boskowski.
Just goes to show that native talent is best - whether it be with Johan Strauss or Ralph Vaughan Williams.
(And thank goodness the ballet was reduced to a minimum this year)

Happy New Year to you all

HS

Happy New Year to you HS, and to everybody

I have to say I like the ballet bits, and was thinking to myself that the choreography was better than usual this year (that was even before we were told it was a British choreographer, whose name escapes me). There's not that much of it after all, and it does no harm to underline what superb dance music it is. Also the contrast between the dancers and the well-nourished Viennese orchestral players is quite entertaining, you could make two dancers from that chubby bassoonist .

Presumably, in those schlosses, there are other rooms where all the furniture and carpets are stacked up.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Enticing programme - although I agree that the Suppé overture should have opened proceedings - but not terribly well executed. I thought the VPO looked disengaged for much of the concert, with Franz Welser-Möst's stolid direction not helping. I think the best of recent New Year concerts was the one conducted by Georges Prêtre, which had a delicious Viennese lilt.

A lot of fuss is - rightly - made about the proportion of female players in the VPO. However, last night I caught a little of a Pavarotti and friends concert from the RAH on SkyArts, given in 1995. The orchestra was the LPO and during one sequence, the camera slowly panned from the singers across the first and second violins... one woman. I'd estimate that about 40% of the LPO is now made up of women. How times change! I wonder if in a decade's time the VPO will have undergone a similar transformation? Somehow, I doubt it.

[cloughie]

Could not Bernard Haitink or Colin Davis have a go?

Why would they want to? Not repertoire I would have thought they immediately identify with.

[cloughie]

I 'm pretty sure I spotted Julie Andrews in the audience. If Petroc name-checked her I missed it.

I've heard she likes the sound of music!

[amateur51]

Why would they want to? Not repertoire I would have thought they immediately identify with.

Exactly!

If you really want an elder statesman to conduct this sort of concert, surely Rozhdestvensky or Temirkanov would be better choices

[cloughie]

Exactly!

If you really want an elder statesman to conduct this sort of concert, surely Rozhdestvensky or Temirkanov would be better choices

Or maybe Gergiev - into Dance rhythms - not need much rehearsal which would fit his busy schedule!

[gradus]

How about Andre Rieu who does more of this stuff than most and makes a great deal of mony, he could probably freshen things up a bit with the VPO.

[Nick Armstrong]

Rozhdestvensky

YEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or maybe Gergiev

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

[Alison]

Just as well that she was wearing trousers, then.

Seriously though, I thought this was the best performance of the Viennese waltz style of playing that I have heard since Wili Boskowski.
Just goes to show that native talent is best - whether it be with Johan Strauss or Ralph Vaughan Williams.

I couldn't hear that at all, Mr Hornspieler. If I may say so, you seem to swing readily between 'best ever' and 'extremely disaapointing'

with not much falling in the middle. I just heard FWM as bang in the midde of average.

The very best of New Years to you old chap x

[EdgeleyRob]

How about Andre Rieu who does more of this stuff than most and makes a great deal of mony, he could probably freshen things up a bit with the VPO.

See my post #45.