Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2018

[bluestateprommer]

Here's the program, minus the "surprise" encore before the standard two perennial closers, where BSP again guesses at the interval with a blank line (or stare):

Johann Strauss II: Entrance March from Der Zigeunerbaron
Josef Strauss: Wiener Fresken Walzer, op. 249 (Viennese Frescoes)
Johann Strauss II:
* Brautschau Polka, op. 417 (Bridal Flowers)
* Leichtes Blut Polka schnell, op. 319
Johann Strauss I:
* Marienwalzer, op. 212
* Wilhelm Tell Galopp, op. 29b

Franz von Suppé: Ouvertüre zu Boccaccio
Johann Strauss II: Myrthenblüten Walzer, op. 395 (Myrtle Flowers)
Alphons Czibulka: Stephanie-Gavotte, op. 312
Johann Strauss II:
* Freikugeln Polka schnell, op. 326
* Tales from the Vienna Woods Waltz, op. 325
* Fest-Marsch, op. 452
* Stadt und Land Polka mazur, op. 322
* Un ballo in maschera Quadrille, op. 272
* Rosen aus dem Süden Walzer, op. 388
Josef Strauss: Eingesendet Polka schnell, op. 240

5 titles are unfamiliar to me (at least), including a totally new name, Alphons Czibulka. As with the past several years, Petroc is on call for the BBC R3 relay.

[pastoralguy]

As always, a lovely start to the New Year. Mrs. PG makes scrambled eggs with salmon and we open a bottle of champagne to toast in the 1st! I love watching the fiddles - what I would give to be able to play with that level of accomplishment!

Alas, no Roger Moore this year although Julie Andrews will no doubt be in attendance along with the obviously extremely well-heeled audience members with a huge contingent of Asian people. If only they would give those bloody ballet dancers a rest...

[Alison]

I have a new way of approaching this concert: to not look at the programme in advance!

Having successfully covered up BSP's #1 I had better not return to the thread this side of the event!

[bluestateprommer]

Alas, no Roger Moore this year although Julie Andrews will no doubt be in attendance along with the obviously extremely well-heeled audience members with a huge contingent of Asian people. If only they would give those bloody ballet dancers a rest...

From a check of PBS' website for their Great Performances series, the big surprise is that Julie Andrews is not the presenter this year for the edited PBS telecast, which, again if the trend of the past few years holds, will comprise mainly the 2nd part of the concert. (PBS never telecasts the entire concert here, and puts an annoying promo speech over the Radetzky March at the end.) The new host for this year is Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey.

Given that presentation of dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet is a tradition with the telecast, no chance of the dancers or dance sequences getting a rest. It is what it is.

[Zucchini]

If only they would give those bloody ballet dancers a rest...

Hold on a minute!
I think I read somewhere that prima ballerina and lovely person Katie will make a guest appearance this year ...

[Petrushka]

It looks an excellent programme and Muti's previous appearances at this event have all been very good.

As with BSP, 5 titles are unfamiliar to me also. My only gripe is that I really wish that we could hear more from Josef Strauss who was definitely more talented than Johann but he misses out again apart from the odd item. I really want to hear the VPO in his waltz Perlen der Liebe op 39.

[DracoM]

Q for pros among you: how does the VPO manage to create more swing to waltz time? Is it how they negotiate the second into third beat of the bar or the first?
You hear all manner of other bands performing waltzes but it just is NOT the same, no matter how good the band.

[ahinton]

Hold on a minute!
I think I read somewhere that prima ballerina and lovely person Katie will make a guest appearance this year ...

Katie who?

[ahinton]

A bit of a shame for Colin Matthews, though, whose slot as 2018's first CotW is four-fifths of the usual because the Viennese concert occurs on Monday!...

[Alison]

A bit of a shame for Colin Matthews, though, whose slot as 2018's first CotW is four-fifths of the usual because the Viennese concert occurs on Monday!...

Ferney will be gutted

[Richard Tarleton]

Just to say....some of us like the ballet ....all those long legs and floaty dresses....and those videos of the Austrian countryside, and the Danube....all part of the experience....

Anyway I'm delighted we're getting Tales from the Vienna Woods, hopefully the same moustachioed zither player as last time, and Roses from the South.....

[LHC]

It appears from the timings that this year, possibly for the first time, the BBC are showing the whole concert live on BBC2.

In previous years, only radio 3 has covered the whole concert. BBC2 has shown the 2nd half of the concert live, with edited highlights of the whole concert then being shown on BBC4 in the evening.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the whole concert for a change.

[subcontrabass]

It appears from the timings that this year, possibly for the first time, the BBC are showing the whole concert live on BBC2.

That is made explicit here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09kp6xr

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

If only they would give those bloody ballet dancers a rest...

The ballet dancers are much better on the radio.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Q for pros among you: how does the VPO manage to create more swing to waltz time? Is it how they negotiate the second into third beat of the bar or the first?
You hear all manner of other bands performing waltzes but it just is NOT the same, no matter how good the band.

I conducted an Amdram "The Merry Widow" back in 1990. I like to think we got the Viennese lilt just about right - anticipating the 2nd beat and delaying the 3rd.

When the VPO recorded the Tchaikovsky ballet suites with Karajan, they couldn't help themselves. The Swan Lake Waltz has never sounded more Viennese'.