Search - Johann II [Junior] Strauss, Johann I [Senior] Strauss, Joseph Lanner :: New Year's Concert 2004

A Happy New Year to the World!

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 04/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"No concert has a bigger audience than the concert given on the morning of New Year's Day each year in the gorgeous Musikverinsaal Vienna by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. It even gets relayed to Australia on the other side of the world where I live. Somehow the spirited, luscious, languorous music of the over-stressed and over-worked members of Vienna's Strauss Family seems just right for launching a new year in the best possible way. Intelligent programming ensures nowadays that landmark dates are honored and that less familiar items sometimes get an airing. Thus the 200th anniversary of the birth of J Strauss Snr prompts a larger number of his works to be heard here than usually happens, and about one third of the items receive their premiere New Year's Concert performance. One such item opens the concert, the march "Es war so wunderschon". Lacking the swagger and brio of a Franz Salmhofer recording made many years, this performance is merely tasteful and efficient by comparison. Elsewhere, I detected a lower excitement level in the performances than usually arises. Nevertheless the chance to hear many of these works should not be missed. The Josef Strauss polka mazur "Steifmutterchen" is for me the highlight."

An engaging concert from Muti, with many unusual items

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 05/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My mind is pretty clear about why I don't buy Muti recordings. He's an arrogant stuffed tuxedo who hasn't had a musical idea worth a second thought, and he looks as if his face would fall off if he dared to smile. Over the years Muti has been allowed to conduct a vast range of music, none of it with any real distinction. And yet...



This 2004 New Year's concert contains a trove of Strauss and Lanner rarities (at least a dozen items would be known only to specialist collectors), which Muti conducts nicely, if not exactly with high good humor. The Vienna Phil. has a long relationship with Muti, and they play comfortably and well for him. Muti doesn't drive the music hard for once, and he even allows a lilt here and there. I am taking no pains to disguise my dislike of his music-making, but this was a refreshingly low-key day with the Strausses, and I enjoyed it."

An Interesting, though not best VPO New Year's Concert

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 04/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From a musicological perspective this year's Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert led by Riccardo Muti is among the most interesting ever offered, since its program includes premieres of lesser known works by Johann Strauss Senior, his sons, and others who contributed to the development of the Viennese waltz. Not surprisingly much of the program is devoted to Strauss senior since it is the bicentennial of his birth. However, the orchestra doesn't nearly play with as much brio as I have heard in previous years, most notably Muti's 2000 concert and Harnoncourt's 2001 concert. The orchestra truly rises to the occasion for performances of traditional encores Blue Danube waltz and Radetzky March, composed respectively by Johann Strauss Junior and Senior. Still the fine sound quality as well as the very good, if not outstanding, performances should appeal not only to Strauss fans but also to long-time admirers of the Vienna Philharmonic."