The greatest conductors of orchestral music by the Strauss family, Lehar et al

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've long thought of Erich Kleiber as one of the greatest conductors ever.

The VPO/Kleiber Eroica is enough to justify that EA.

to both.

[LHC]

Has anyone else tried to 'conduct' the Vienna Philharmonic in the VPO museum in the Haus der Musik in Vienna? The recording actually reacts to your movements and one piece you can choose, as I did, is the Annen Polka. You'd think it would be a doddle but it's damnably difficult! I was floundering after the first beat!

I've done that as well, and as you say, it's much harder than you might think. My first attempt sounded so bad the members of the Orchestra got up and left the stage in disgust (or at least their filmed avatars did). After a couple more goes, my attempts at conducting were passable enough to elicit applause from the 'orchestra'.

It was actually great fun, and quite instructive for us arm-chair conductors.

[Barbirollians]

The Krauss Fledermaus is delightful and I think I shall now have to hear his NYD concert !

[Once Was 4]

Took delivery of the Teldec historical disc of Erich Kleiber conducting the BPO in Strauss and Lanner waltzes .

Am smitten albeit not sure I would say better than his son .

Edit Having lived with it the last two weeks however I have changed my mind Erich Kleiber was better than anybody - just wonderful smile inducing performances definitely musical vintage champagne .

Hmmm! Reminds me of the old story: a certain mega-rich dilitante approached the Chairman of the VPO and asked how much it would cost to hire the orchestra so that he could conduct it. The Chairman replied - "we have three rates - our 'Gold Service' for which you get a Kleiber performance, our 'Silver Service' in which we give you a Karajan performance, or our bog-standard service - we just sit there and try to follow your beat" Boom, boom!

[Petrushka]

The Krauss Fledermaus is delightful and I think I shall now have to hear his NYD concert !

I have this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Krauss-New-Y...+years+concert

This is a complete recording of the 1954 NYDC taken direct from the Austrian Radio so you get the announcements as well. The sound is pretty decent considering the age but be prepared for a very different kind of New Year concert than we are used to in that encores appear willy-nilly. Personally, I find it a fascinating document of a bygone age and it's well worth purchasing. It was, of course, Krauss' final NYDC as he died later that year thus paving the way for the Boskovsky era.