I know, I know! I'm late; and it's not a live commentary, just a live resume of a recording. Still, here we go.
This year's Conductor is Gustav Thielemann.
Schönfeld March, op. 422 (Carl Michael Ziehrer)
We immediately start spotting ladies in the orchestra: one flautist, three violinists, one cellist, one harper, one bassoonist. Better than some years; but still a bit feeble.
This is a very 'marchy' march.
Transactionen (Transactions). Walzer, op.184 (Josef Strauss)
Scenes of the Volksgarten whilst this plays. Maybe a bit like Monet's Japanese-style garden. It's near the Hofburg and, photographed in a bright summer, looks idyllic.
Josef's waltz is dreamier and more subdued than some of Johann Sohn's. It's for lovers not waltz-hall denizens.
Marks 100 years of Austro-Japanese friendship (hence -
Transactions)
Elfenreigen (Dance of the Elves) (Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.)
Musically these elves are clearly small and dance on mushrooms; although in the second movement, we may have progressed to Oberon and Titania loved-up, post-reconciliation.
Nope - these were not SERIOUS elves!
Express. Polka schnell, op. 311 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
This is a cheer-up-Vienna! polka to console the citizens after defeat in the Austro-Prussian War. They'd have finished up so breathless that they wouldn't have had the energy to repine!
Nordseebilder (North Sea Pictures). Walzer, op. 390 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
Inspired by Strauss's summer holidays on the North Sea island of Föhr. Very light, as befits a holiday-snap; but where is the hidden menace of the North Sea?
Ahh - there's a bit of a build-up to a storm, which appears to blow-over quite quickly!
Mit Extrapost (Special Delivery). Polka schnell, op. 259 (Eduard Strauss)
Polka celebrating the fast-post service that covered the Austro-Hungarian Empire (you can see their distinctive yellow buildings all over Austria and into places like Bratislava).
Interval, during which we get a visual tour of the Staatsoper.
There's a rehearsal of
Die Fledermaus in progress.
Now we're looking in on a string-section rehearsing Mozart's
Don Giovanni overture.....
... and a Donizetti chorus.
Now some ballet - Hurrah! They're doing a waltz from
Raymonda, which we saw the Trocks doing, back in September - somewhat differently!
Now a bit of Pappagano/Pappagana from
The Magic Flute.
Der Rosenkavalier plays whilst we visit the makeup and wig room. And the costumiers.
Back to Part 2 of the Concert now.
Ouvertüre zur Operette "Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron)" (Johann Strauss Jr.)
Petroc Trelawney introduces this piece by reminding us that 100 years ago in 1918/19, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was breaking-up in the wake of WW1. (I'm not sure why, because this operetta was composed in 1885! - mainly for the Hungarian overtones in the music, I think)
Die Tänzerin (The Dancer). Polka française, op. 227 (Josef Strauss)
Jolly but more like a march.
Künstlerleben (An Artist’s Life). Walzer, op. 316 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
The ballet school will dance to this one. Yays!
We see them first on the roof of their School in Vienna, then inside the Opera House. Oh dear, polka-dots! Not a good look in a tutu. The pale grey stripe and harlequin-diamond are OK, but the pastels always win out in my book. (The boys are dead boring in dark trousers and white turtle-necks)
Die Bajadere (The Bayadere). Polka schnell, op. 351 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
This is so 'schnell' that you couldn't ballet to it, surely!
Opern-Soiree (Opera Soirée). Polka française, op. 162 (Eduard Strauss)
Eduard's stuff is always very smooth - his polka is less wild than Johann's previous one.
Eva-Walzer (Eva Waltz). Nach Motiven aus "Ritter Pásmán" (Johann Strauss Jr.)
From a failed serious-opera by Johann, hastily repurposed as concert pieces. Blimey - I just read a resume of the opera's plotline and it is booooring! No one dies, and has to sing an aria with their last breath; no one goes mad on their wedding night; no one bargains the brother's life for the sister's virginity (and then has him executed anyway). Oh well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritter_P%C3%A1zm%C3%A1nCsárdás aus „Ritter Pásmán“, op. 441 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
Ballet at Schloss Grafenegg! Hurrah!
Costumes are a bit wacky (crude primary colours), but the castle courtyard is worth the view. The inside is in grand-reconstruction style. The grounds are sundrenched, but look like just a lawn.
Egyptischer Marsch (Egyptian March), op. 335 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
The name of this was changed to 'The Circassian March' - either way, it's a very
Viennese Egypt/Circassia! It's one of those where the orchestra stops playing and
lalala's in the middle.
Entr'acte Valse (Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.)
Written to cover a scenery-change-pause in a dramatic work. It's slight, delightful and would possibly send the audience to sleep.
Lob der Frauen (In Praise of Women). Polka mazur, op. 315 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
Petroc refers (quite unironically, I think) to the recent controversy about the lack of women in the orchestra for this piece. The femme-count is still very low IMHO; only 11 this year, says Petroc, though we only counted 7.
Besides - there appears to me to be a heavy overtone of
God bless them around this piece's title.
Sphärenklänge (Music of the Spheres). Walzer, op. 235 (Josef Strauss)
I love this piece; and I just LOVE the title - what a beautiful, onomatopoeic word!
We have a snow-arama showing as this pieces comes to an end (for no discernible reason)
Nice quiet ending, featuring their wondrous lady harper.
Im Strumschritt Polka Schnell Op.348 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
They do get a bit samey, after a full programme, I have to say; even though this is Strauss' version of the Can-can
An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 (Johann Strauss Jr.)
Here we go - the beginning of the end, accompanied by a Danube panorama starting at -
Schloss Greinberg; then Basilika Maria Taferl; Schloss Artstetten; Ruine Weitenegg; Schloss Leiben; Schloss Schönbühel; Bergruine Aggstein; Ruine Hinterhaus; Durnstein; Burg Greifenstein.
Radetsky Marsch (Johann Strauss Sr.)
Here we are at the end again. We get a quick glimpse of President van der Bellen.
And, guys, I very much fear that this BBC broadcast might be falling victim to Brexit-uncertainty. Petroc tried to reassure us that 'there would be plenty of music from
around the world, this year on Radio 3. The silence about this concert's future on tv was rather deafening.
I hope that wasn't the last one we get here; because it was not really one of their best. Plus we need to see if there are more women in the orchestra in future years.
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