New Year's Day Concert 2014

[Richard Tarleton]

Great choreography especially in Delibes' Pizzicati Polka , and great pictures illustrating G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, too.

Yes, particularly witty choreography for the Delibes, coupled with VW's typically bonkers designs - excellent. I may be in a minority here but I love the ballet cutaways - it's only for 2-3 numbers after all. And the film of the dancers is spectacularly well edited.

I wonder how Maestro Barenboim's memory works - how do you internalise so many broadly similar pieces most of which you've never seen before, without a playlist let alone a score in sight? How much of a challenge is this stuff to the conductor?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I wonder how Maestro Barenboim's memory works - how do you internalise so many broadly similar pieces most of which you've never seen before, without a playlist let alone a score in sight? How much of a challenge is this stuff to the conductor?

Karajan famously "fluffed" the running order towards the end of his concert - the Leader noticed how his body language suggested that he'd mixed up the running order of (I think) the Radetsky March and the Blue Danube so gave a stage whisper to the maestro who made a joke of it. Karajan is the only conductor who managed to keep the audience clapping in time during the March - it would not surprise me to learn that several of them still supply dinner-party conversation of their memoeries of being conducted by Karajan!

[Mary Chambers]

I'm surprised to see so many messages here which must have been posted during the concert. Didn't it hold their concentration - or has the tweeting generation reached The Radio 3 Forum?

I don't take the New Year concert entirely seriously, and would be quite likely to post the odd thing or talk during it - not if I was actually there, of course. I always count the women, which is part of the fun. This year's official total of nine was better than usual! It may stop being fun if they keep on improving.

I enjoyed this morning's concert very much, except for the Vivienne Westwood 'Scottish' ballet costumes, which were almost too dreadful to be funny, as was the choreography.

[Stunsworth]

One thing about the ballet has always puzzled me. If the dancing is pre-recorded, how do they manage to keep exactly in time with the live music?

[Mary Chambers]

Yes, particularly witty choreography for the Delibes, coupled with VW's typically bonkers designs - excellent.

Oh. I don't agree. Bonkers indeed, but witty?

[slarty]

From the look on some of the orchestral players, they were totally unprepared for this. What a marvelous way to finish the concert. Well done DB. I have not enjoyed a NYDC this much since kleiber.
I don't want to pour cold water, but after three good concerts during the 90s, I thought that Mehta's last time around in 2007 suffered greatly from too much routine, and not enough sparkle. He may just have been tired.
It is a gruelling event with 3 days of rehearsals and then the dress rehearsal with audience( the day before), It can be difficult to keep the orchestra fresh.
There are 200 members of the VPO, and they have quite a few more female members, but with around 90 on stage, no more than a few will ever be seen at one time.

[MickyD]

One thing about the ballet has always puzzled me. If the dancing is pre-recorded, how do they manage to keep exactly in time with the live music?

A question I have been asking myself for years. Presumably Brian Large's best-kept secret!

[Richard Tarleton]

Oh. I don't agree. Bonkers indeed, but witty?

There were moments of intentional slapstick eg in the corridor, and when the one in the tartan cape crashed into a mirror, or was it a door, and some entertaining business when the four of them were sat on the stairs (the girl on the left fiddling with the bloke's kilt and getting her hand slapped, that stuff with the feather) - well it made me laugh.

[Petrushka]

Josef Strauss's Dynamiden must surely be one of the greatest waltzes ever penned, simply tremendous. It has all the melodic invention, romantic passion and wistful melancholy one could wish. It's a masterpiece of the genre and deserves a place in anyone's list of the greatest.

I'd agree about those posting while the concert was on; I did my previous post during the interval.

People say that New Year is over-rated; listen to this wonderful event as I have done for the past 42 years and you soon change your view.

[Petrushka]

Karajan famously "fluffed" the running order towards the end of his concert - the Leader noticed how his body language suggested that he'd mixed up the running order of (I think) the Radetsky March and the Blue Danube so gave a stage whisper to the maestro who made a joke of it. Karajan is the only conductor who managed to keep the audience clapping in time during the March - it would not surprise me to learn that several of them still supply dinner-party conversation of their memoeries of being conducted by Karajan!

Karajan actually started to conduct the Blue Danube and missed out the first encore which was Josef Strauss's Ohne Sorgen (also heard this morning). The published DVD recording edited this out but I so wish they hadn't. It showed Karajan in a much more human light and was a touching reminder that he too was as fallible as the rest of us.

[amateur51]

Karajan actually started to conduct the Blue Danube and missed out the first encore which was Josef Strauss's Ohne Sorgen (also heard this morning). The published DVD recording edited this out but I so wish they hadn't. It showed Karajan in a much more human light and was a touching reminder that he too was as fallible as the rest of us.

But the editing out of errors that you mention suggests that he didn't wish to be seen as such?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

They always edit out errors. There was one year when the trumpets forgot a repeat in The Blue Danube, but it never appeared on the CD. Then there were glitches in Lorin Maazel's violin solo in Tales from the Vienna Woods that were suitably cleaned up. Very few "live recordings" are what they seem.

[Petrushka]

But the editing out of errors that you mention suggests that he didn't wish to be seen as such?

Well, quite possibly. Whatever was behind that decision I so wish they hadn't and shown it as broadcast live. I'm afraid my video recording of that 1987 concert (my second ever video recording!) has long gone and if anyone has one transferred to DVD I'd very much appreciate a copy.

[verismissimo]

... I wonder how Maestro Barenboim's memory works - how do you internalise so many broadly similar pieces most of which you've never seen before, without a playlist let alone a score in sight? How much of a challenge is this stuff to the conductor?

I too was impressed.

[BBMmk2]

Worth watching?