A Musical New Year in Vienna 2019
BuhneBaden Stadtheater.
This was a great concert. Lovely little hall in the usual style and the (small) orchestra was very respectable...although for some pieces ( like first Waltz sequence from Rosenkavalier) the strings were a bit under-parted.
Nice programme...some unusual operetta excerpts in the second half ( the one from Paganini was a gem) and the three female soloists were very good. They blended well when they shared what are usually solo items...Fledermaus czardas as a duet the British Airways Lakme Duet as as trio for example. One singer (Regina Riel), younger than the others was particularly fine with beautifully floated top notes.
Programmec was wide-ranging...and fun/slightly odd to hear Elgar Pomp and Circumstances in such a setting with massed Brexiteers bawling it out. A very brisk and unsentimental performance too and the smallness of the ensemble allowed many usually unheard inner parts to be revealed. Quite difficult too technically I think.
Must investigate Franz Lehar more seriously too I think.
Only (minor) flaw was the garrolous conductor and his woolly introductions to many pieces.
Good to experience a first-hand Neujahrs Konzert after a second-hand experience of same in the the morning...Rathaus and the Vienna Phil.
Great start to the year.
Brahms Saal Musikverein
They gave a wonderful concert yesterday evening. With only 9 players there is the chance to hear every detail ( and no room for error). I do feel that this is the 'echt' Vienna experience as I feel this is how they were originally meant to be performed.
The opening work...Suppe Poet & Peasant was a superb starter. The cello solo (player is Hungarian) was superb. Amazingly sweet tone..the equivalent of the richest Tokaj! Piece reminded me in structure and general tone, of William Tell...a cello solo lyrical opening followed by an increasingly frenetic main section and conclusion.
Thee was a mix of the familiar and unfamliar although some were less appealing than others..the Lanner piece was pretty so-so and the Strauss Lemon -Grove piece was not one of his best.
The usual encores concluded the evening..and the audience showed themselves to be well sophisticated as they only clapped in the right places during the Radetczy March... the loud iterations only of the main theme.