Customer Reviews

New Year's Concert 2008 / Pretre, Wien Phil.

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With a world-wide TV and radio audience guaranteed and a tradition going back nearly 80 years, the Vienna Philharmonic New Year concerts can now afford to present several first time inclusions selected from the works of the over-worked and over-stressed Strauss Family. Six items in the 2008 program make their first appearance. Two are by Strauss The Father including a waltz with a short introduction that becomes very loud. These two items acknowledge French inspiration, as does Johann The Son's "Orpheus Quadrille", entirely based (not merely providing "echoes" as the booklet writer asserts) on melodies from Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld".

Another first time inclusion is the veteran French conductor Georges Prêtre whose selection of tempi changes within the waltzes and polkas are nicely judged even if they remove the music far away from its dance origins.

Those who wish to have the concert in DVD format can access some ballet sequences - distinctly more modern in style than usually provided, but timed to fit the music perfectly.

Distinguished French operatic conductor Georges Pretre was definitely an odd choice to lead this year's concert at Vienna's venerable Musikverein, but he demonstrates a warm affinity for the Viennese waltz tradition in this rather well-played concert. With the possible exception of the Blue Danube Waltz, I thought Pretre was absolutely superb in conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), though perhaps it was more the Wiener Philharmoniker, not Pretre himself, who understood quite well the rich musical textures of J. Strauss II's scores. Nonetheless, this has to rank among the better New Year's Concerts in recent memory, even though I regard as more memorable both of Harnoncourt's concerts conducted earlier in this decade, as well as Mehta's exceptional 2007 concert. And yet, as I have noted before, Pretre demonstrates that he is a fine interpreter of the Strauss family's music, which is represented here by works composed not only by Johann Strauss II, but also several pieces - including the traditional encore "Radetzky March" - by his father Johann Strauss I and by his brother Josef Strauss. This annual New Year's treat also features excellent dancing from members of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, culminating in a fine "duet" that concludes within the Musikverein. Fans of the annual New Year's Concert will surely appreciate this latest addition from the Wiener Philharmoniker.

The Vienna Philharmonic is one of those great orchestras of the world that are so powerful and competent that it is a rare maestro who can take the podium and command a unique performance. This is one of those instances.

With Maestro Pretre's AMAZING economy of movement and a face radiating peace and joy, never have I heard such a silken sound emanate from the orchestra. The performance was seamless, melodic perfection.

Definitely one to enjoy and savour repeatedly.

Georges Pretre is one of those conductors who not only make you enjoy the music, but also bring something far beyond the routine. And this routine is very much present in most of the concerts from the previous years. Yes, Kleiber's videos from 1989 and 1992 are absolutely ravishing and there is no conductor who got even closer to the level of musicality that Kleiber achieved in the performances of all those waltzes and polkas. However, Pretre is the most interesting conductor chosen by Wiener Philharmoniker for their New year concert since 1992. And the results were amazing! You might disagree with some of the interpretations, but the level of mastery went far beyond any of the performances from past years. The man is a superb conductor who reminds you that music is something more than just excellent playing. Something more than the 2 million bucks that Lorin Maazel gets as a music dirtector of NY phil. Georges Pretre is a real Maestro, a wonderfully amazing human being who loves the music and translates this love into sound. Yes, get Kleiber if you don't have it, but don't miss this one.

I have to concur with the positive reviews here. The most wonderful NY Vienna concert since Carlos Kleiber, by far. (Well, Wiener Philharmoniker's having had, relatively recently, the sinister Nikolaus Harnoncourt scientifically massacring Strauss' charming music, with his sledgehammer beat, wasn't exactly stiff competition.)

George Pretre seems to me not boring, rather the opposite of boring. Bringing excitement, as a conductor, does not involve waiving your bloody hair (if you still have it, which as a rule older conductors don't, fortunately) in the air, and waving your arms "passionately," without a good reason, in a plethora of gratuitous visual agitation, with no discernible effect in the sound.

Pretre's genuine conducting mastery is almost without equal among living conductors, insofar he gets more results with a wink or with a nudge than others with huge gestures. He makes the orchestra play exactly as he wants it to play, with at the same time youthful/fresh AND "wise"/magically economical gestures.

Pretre doesn't need to sweat on stage, reminding one of Richard Strauss' dictum - according to which not the conductor, but the audience should be sweating [with emotion]. The precious, well-balanced mixture of precision and flexibility, of warmth and elegance, makes his "2008" Vienna concert indeed the most memorable one since Carlos Kleiber's two (1989 and 1992) concerts. Even without having seen the DVD itself (and thus even before being able to comment on the production values per se), this DVD is on my most urgent "to get" list.

I won't comment on individual works, except for saying that, while Kleiber was perhaps even more inspired in some polkas and in the "Blue Danube," Pretre's version of the Imperial Waltz must be the warmest, most elegant I remember, notwithstanding classics such as Bruno Walter, Krauss, or even Furtwaengler's rare (and monumental) studio recording.

That a conductor as enriching, as inspiring as Georges Pretre is, can still be in such good a physical form at his age is something of a minor miracle, and orchestras everywhere should take full advantage of his being active, before it will be too late.

I was very surprised (an 'odd choice' wrote someone else around here) that Georges
Pretre would conduct the traditional New Year Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic.

I had seen Maestro Pretre conduct only once, the Philhadelphia Orchestra around
17 years ago, I think, and I thought it was a very good concert, but no comparison
with Ozawa, Kleiber or Harnoncourt.

Well, he is SO CHARISMATIC that the New Year concert is a real pleasure to
watch. I understand he conducted again today (December 31, 2009) and I will
get THAT new DVD as soon as it appears in the market.

I wonder why Maestro Pretre did not make a 'spectacular' career before.
I understand some French classical artists are not given many opportunities
in France, so that may explain his scarce discography (same thing happened
to Regine Crespin, Pierre Alain Volondat...and so many others except the
ones that lived outside France).

Well, BRAVO, MAESTRO! The concert was, in my opinion, excellent, a real joy!
It surpasses, I think, other Neujahr concerts conducted by such celebrities
like Abaddo and other rather conceited conductors like Barenboim, Mehta
and Maazel.

Pretre and Vienna = what a delight to watch!

It was a renewed experience to hear and see this yearly concert by the Wiener Philharmoniker. Always differento but always very happy and enjoyable.

Not your fault but this particular DVD sound track is not quite up to standard on my Stereo System. Sounds fine on regular TV with DVD Player. Would recommedn 2007 version or one of the Boskovsky recordings.

It's not terrible. It's just...not very good either. My new year's musical experience would have been ruined if I hadn't owned Kleiber's DVDs of his 1989 and 1992 New Year's Concerts. It's always Strauss, always walzes and polkas, so why don't you just get the best? This one is, well, terribly boring.