Neujahrskonzert 2016
Vienna Boy’s Choir
Vienna Philharmonic/Mariss Jansons
rec. 1 January 2016, Goldenersaal, Musikverein, Vienna
No sung texts
SONY CLASSICS 88875 174772 [62.27 + 50.13]
Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2016 this is the
New Year’s Concert recorded live from the Goldenersaal of the
Musikverein, Vienna. Latvian Mariss Jansons conducts the Vienna Philharmonic
(VPO) his third appearance at this legendary event. His first New Year’s
Concert in 2006
and then in 2012
were warmly welcomed. No stranger to the VPO Jansons conducted them
for the first time in 1992. In the best tradition of the New Year’s
Concert Jansons presides over a festive mix of much-loved showpieces
and unknown gems. This 2016 programme comprises 21 scores from eight
composers, eight of whom receive their New Year’s première and
three of those are from the pen of Johann Strauss II.
Together with some 50 million others across 90 countries I watched the
live television transmission. It's a wonderfully civilised part
of New Year’s Day morning and has become a tradition in my own
and many other households. It was uplifting to watch the personable
Jansons bringing his particular insights to this joyous music.
Once again the television broadcast shows many shots of the sumptuous
interior of the Goldenersaal as usual copiously garlanded with sprays
of flowers. The effect is striking. This year the roving television
camera kept a frequent watch on Mrs Jansons; a change of target from
previous years where keen surveillance was kept on Dame Julie Andrews.
Sadly, in recent decades some conductors have not had the necessary
charisma to carry off this extraordinarily special occasion. I admit
to enjoying especially past concerts by Nikolaus
Harnoncourt, Mariss Jansons and Daniel
Barenboim whose conducting seems to generate a special frisson.
Curiously this year Jansons’ direction seemed to be slightly lacking
in his usual zip and buoyancy. He failed fully to recreate the atmosphere
of unbridled joy and enchantment of mid 19th century Vienna.
First a debut work for the New Year’s Concert by the Austrian
Robert Stolz. Dedicated to the United Nations his UNO-Marsch
from 1962 felt like a John Philip Sousa march in a sweet-toothed André
Rieu arrangement. It was a disappointment and not up the quality of
the Strauss family. More successful on its concert debut is Émile Waldteufel’s
España waltz from 1886. This fresh and exhilarating piece is
an arrangement of the famous rhapsody for orchestra España
that Chabrier had written a couple of years earlier. Ziehrer’s
waltz Weaner Mad’ln, another debutante, is an over-sentimental
score with its whistling sequence reminiscent of mischievous wolf-whistles
directed at fashionable Vienna girls. Another agreeable newcomer is
Josef Hellmesberger’s Ball Scene - one of the composer’s
better known works after a violin study by Joseph Mayseder. It was heard
here in an arrangement by Wolfgang Dörner.
Of the New Year’s Concert debutantes from the Strauss family there
are a couple that I found especially memorable. First Johann Strauss
II with Violetta, an uplifting French polka and Außer Rand
und Band, a heartening fast polka by Eduard Strauss. My highlight
is the Johann Strauss II overture Eine Nacht in Venedig which
with its adroit changes of mood and tempo is both inspiring and celebratory.
Maintaining its usual high standards is the Vienna Boy’s Choir
featured on two of the first half's works: Sängerslust
by Johann Strauss II and Auf Ferienreisen from Josef Strauss.
For some reason the usual authoritative essay in the CD booklet written
by Prof. Dr. Clemens Hellsberg, the first violin of the Vienna Philharmonic,
is absent. It is replaced by a most helpful article by researchers Silvia
Kargl and Friedemann Pestel. Curiously again the track timings are absent.
Praise is due to the engineers for Sony who provide its usual clarity
and well balanced sound.
Despite my slight reservations concerning Jansons the orchestra continue
to lavish utmost care and attention on these uplifting and popular works;
testimony to its unerring spirit. There should be fireworks next year
with exciting Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel taking the baton.
Michael Cookson
Previous review: Brian
Wilson
Details
CD 1 [62.27]
Robert STOLZ (1880-1975)
UNO-Marsch* [3:28]
Johann STRAUSS II (1825-1899)
Schatz-Walzer, Op. 418 [8:06]
Violetta, Polka française, Op. 404* [4:29]
Vergnügungszug, Polka schnell, Op. 281 [3:01]
Carl Michael ZIEHRER (1843-1922)
Weaner Mad’ln, Walzer, Op. 388* [10:27]
Eduard STRAUSS (1835-1916)
Mit Extrapost, Polka schnell, Op. 259 [2:20]
Johann STRAUS II
Eine Nacht in Venedig: Ouvertüre [8:09]
Eduard STRAUSS
Außer Rand und Band, Polka schnell, Op. 168* [2:08]
Josef STRAUSS (1827-1870)
Sphärenklänge, Walzer, Op. 235 [10:04]
Johann STRAUS II
Sängerslust, Polka française, Op. 328* [3:47]
Josef STRAUSS
Auf Ferienreisen, Polka schnell, Op. 133 [2:43]
Johann STRAUS II
Fürstin Ninetta: Entr’acte Akt III* [3:40]
CD 2 [50.13]
Émile WALDTEUFEL (1837-1915) (after Emmanuel CHABRIER)
España, Walzer, Op. 236* [5:49]
Josef HELLMESBERGER I (1828-1893)
Ballszene* [5:05]
(after a violin study by Joseph Mayseder arranged by Wolfgang Dörner
[5:05]
Johann STRAUSS I (1804-1849)
Seufzer-Galopp, Op. 9 [2:11]
Josef STRAUSS
Die Libelle, Polka Mazur, Op.204 [5:28]
Johann STRAUS II
Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437 [11:32]
Auf der Jagd, Polka schnell,
arranged from operetta Cagliostro in Wein, Op.373 [2:31]
Encores:
Im Sturmschritt, Polka schnell, Op. 348 [2:30]
Neujahrsgruß (New Year’s Address) [0:43]
Johann STRAUSS II
An der schönen blauen Donau, Op.314 [10:31]
Johann STRAUSS I
Radetzky-Marsch, Op. 228 [3:47]
First performance at a Vienna New Year’s Concert*
