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*
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