NEW
YEAR'S CONCERT 2016
Vienna
Philharmonic / MARISS JANSONS
Sony
Classical 88875174772 / ****1/2
75 years of the Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra's patented New Year Concerts have yielded over 319 different works by
the Strauss family and other composers of festive light music, and more are
added every year to this delectable smorgasbord of confections and lollipops.
The 2016 edition conducted by Latvia-born Mariss Jansons throws in eight more
works not previous heard in the Golden Hall of Vienna's Musikverein. Heading
this list is Robert Stolz's United Nations March, composed as recently
as 1962 and the most “modern” work ever performed in this series.
Also heard for the first time are
Waldteufel's España (using the same tunes as Chabrier's España),
Hellmesberger's Ball Scene, Ziehrer's Viennese Maidens, Eduard
Strauss' Out Of Bounds, and three other Johann Strauss II rarities, all
agreeable fare for the occasion.
The familiar favourites also return, such as
the Emperor Waltz, Treasure Waltz, Pleasure Train, Josef
Strauss' Music Of The Spheres, and the sine qua non obligates - The Beautiful Blue Danube and
Johann Strauss the Elder's Radetzky March - with synchronised clapping
from the audience. Like all things Viennese, old habits die hard, and older
pleasures ever more so.
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